


What Money Can't Buy

by banjkazfan



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Light Angst, References to canon banter, Sickfic, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:12:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banjkazfan/pseuds/banjkazfan
Summary: When Alfyn falls so ill he can't be roused, the group must temporarily split.  Tressa is part of the charge to fetch Zeph, and it leaves her with too much time to contemplate why she's so worried.Worst of all, she learns that her money can't always take her as far as she needs...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *bites lip nervously and glances at unfinished FFXV stories*
> 
> Hi, my name is Banj, and I'm in Octopath Traveler hell. I dragged my better half there with me, and we roleplay the entire cast of 8 because we are goddamn madpeople. This was our first joint effort for Octopath, and I've cleaned it up because I wanted to see how it flowed as a story. I liked the results, and thought I would share it with the fandom.
> 
> There is a tiny spoiler for Alfyn's chapter 2! There are also a few references to banters, however, though they should be subtle enough you wouldn't spot them unless you'd already seen them.

Tressa checked the pocketwatch that she carried and smiled to herself. It was time for the watch to switch, and she looked to Primrose across the way. The dancer uncoiled herself from her spot and moved to rouse Olberic from his slumber for his watch, and Tressa smiled. She liked watching them interact together.  Kind of like having a mom and dad on the road.  It made her feel less homesick.

She bounced slightly on her toes and stretched. "Time for a break," she sighed happily, ready to sleep, and she moved to place a hand on Alfyn's shoulder to wake him.

Tressa recoiled at the heat radiating off of his skin, and the fact that the notoriously light sleeper didn't even stir; normally a wayward breeze could have him awake.  His face was flushed and his skin was clammy beneath her hand, and his breathing was slightly labored.

"Alf?" She tried shaking him now, voice a little concerned. "Alfyn, wake up!"

When there was no response, she pulled away and scrambled across the camp to reach Primrose and Olberic, heedless of the noise she was making.

"Prim? Olberic?" Tressa dropped to her knees beside them. "Something's wrong with Alfyn...!"

Olberic was already stirring when Primrose began to wake him but he jolted awake when he heard his name being called with some urgency.

“What’s the matter?” He asked quickly, hand already on the handle of his blade. “Are we under attack?”

He saw nothing in the flickering light save for Primrose and Tressa beside him, the girl with her hands up as if in surrender.  He removed his hand from his sword, hoping to put her at ease.

"Nonononono," she cut in quickly. "It's Alfyn; I can't wake him and he's burning up!"

Primrose looked to the girl, noting the concern furrowing her brow. "Let me try," she said, and moved to kneel beside their comrade. She was alarmed by the heat rolling off of him even from a distance, not to mention when she actually touched him, and she frowned and looked to Olberic. "...perhaps we should wake Ophilia."  She was concerned, but attempted to keep her tone even for Tressa’s sake

Olberic nodded and quickly moved to where the cleric lay sleeping on the other side of the camp. He crouched down and put hand down on her.

“Ophilia.” He said firmly, shaking her shoulder firmly. “Awaken, we have need of your healing skills.”

He detested matters like these where his blade was no more useful than a paperweight. There were many times when he was fighting in the King’s army that he could do little but watch the life drain from a comrade’s eyes as he gave them comforting words after the battle. He prayed this would not be one of those times.

 _To have our healer become ill like this...'tis a bad omen if I ever saw one. Hopefully, Ophilia will be able to care for him so he is well again_.

The young woman stirred, a bit of a heavier sleeper than the others but still not as heavy as Cyrus. But the words "need healing" made her come to full consciousness and she shook herself awake with as much grace as she could muster.  She sat up and rubbed her eyes, willing herself into full wakefulness.

 "I'm awake," she said, looking around. Her eyes landed on Primrose and Tressa kneeling beside Alfyn and Ophilia drew herself up before crossing the camp and joining them, kneeling beside the others.

From the other side of the camp, Therion cracked an eye open to watch the proceedings as Ophilia passed him.  He’d been mostly awake for a while now, but the noise made it impossible for him to doze back off.

"What has happened?" she asked, already drawing on the light of the Sacred Flame to help their friend.  He was clearly ill but there was no indication of what exactly was wrong.  Was it a wound from battle earlier?

"I don't know," Tressa said, voice worried. "He won't wake up."

Ophilia placed her hand on his forehead and nearly yelped at just how hot he burned. But she pushed it away and let the healing light flow into Alfyn. "Let the Sacred Flame heal you," she murmured, waiting to see if there was any response.

Alfyn stirred lightly in his sleep and a few half-mumbled words came out but he otherwise seemed unaffected.  In that moment, Ophilia could feel just how clammy he was and she frowned in concern.

Ophilia kept pushing the healing light in, frowning a little as she felt no discernable change. She usually got some sort of feedback from the Flame or from the person who was ill, indicating that it was working, but there was nothing this time. Still she carried on for another few long moments before she felt her own energy beginning to sap and pulled away.

"Whatever afflicts him...it's not something I can heal," she murmured, looking down at him in concern. She could heal all sorts of wounds, but any sort of illness she was left powerless against.

Primrose looked to Olberic, noticing that Therion was watching as well. This, unfortunately, was not working and they needed to make another plan.

“Let’s wake the others then.” Olberic said as he moved to stand. “Perhaps Cyrus may have knowledge on this sickness. If not, we’ll have to decide what to do to help Alfyn.”

Not waiting for an answer, he got up and went over to Cyrus to rouse the man. Unlike with Ophilia, he was far more vigorous in his efforts; the man could sleep like the dead and was notorious for over sleeping when possible – many late nights studying left him with little sense of a consistent internal rhythm.  The scholar grunted in his sleep as he was shaken but was still slow to wake.

“No need to wake me.” Therion said, announcing his presence before anyone could get near him. He got up and came to lean on a tree closer to where the others were seated by Alfyn.

H'aanit was awake at the sound of Olberic's voice; it tended to carry no matter how quiet he tried to be. Linde was ever at her side as well, and the creature cautiously regarded the unconscious apothecary. 

"’Tis something wrong?" H’aanit murmured to her, but the leopard didn't respond, tail switching from side to side.

The entire time, Tressa's mind raced.  Ophilia couldn't help, Professor Albright might not be able to...what else could they do?  Who else did they know that could help? 

And then it came to her.  "What about - what about Zeph?" Tressa suddenly blurted, feeling sick with worry.  There had to be _something_ that could be done. "Alfyn said that Zeph might be even better than him! We should go get him!"

“Alfyn did speak highly of his brother.” Olberic said thoughtfully. “That may be the best option for him; We’re not fair from his home village if I recall correctly:” 

By this point Cyrus had been roused, thanks to Olberic’s constant nudging.

“What seems to be the matter?” He asked curiously. Pushing himself up he made his way over to the others and saw Alfyn. He crouched down and examined the man carefully. “Oh dear...this looks to be serious.” He glanced at the others for a moment before nodding, “I take Ophilia’s abilities were of little help?”  Why else would they wake him?

Ophilia shook her head. "Whatever it is, I cannot heal," she said quietly. She hated feeling that she was no help, but she would not let it show. That was not their focus now, and she would do what she could.

"I doubten that he canne be moved," H'aanit said. "We must dividen our forces if we intenden to finden help."

Primrose nodded. "If Alfyn cannot tell is what is wrong...then someone who might have a chance to find an answer should remain here." She turned to Cyrus.

“I keep a few reference books on various illnesses for occasions such as these.” Cyrus said, “With Ophilia’s help, we should be able to at least keep him stable. Any more than that I cannot guarantee with certainty.”  His voice was contemplative.  Dividing their forces was something that they had to do frequently, but there was usually not such a pressing reason to do so.

“I will make the journey to Clearbrook.” Olberic said simply. “Those who wish to accompany me should get ready to leave now; we cannot afford have any delays.”

Olberic went to gather his few things into his pack and was soon standing at the ready. 

Primrose moved to prepare as well. She and Olberic fought well together between her dances to boost his own strength and his determination to protect his own comrades, and where he went she often found herself following.  Someday she resolved to tell him that.  

For now, they had bigger things to worry about.  Primrose didn't bring much wherever she went, but it was enough for the journey. "I am ready," she said as she moved to stand beside Olberic. 

"Leten mine axe remainen here," H'aanit said. "If our forces aren split, then Linde and I willen guarden the camp."

Ophilia nodded. "I will stay here and assist Cyrus. We will do what we can." 

Tressa sat frozen for a long moment. Part of her wanted to stay, to make sure Alfyn would be okay, but she knew she'd just be in the way. She didn't have any healing powers of her own, and she'd just be sat fretting...and frankly, she’d be pretty useless like this.  At least if she went, she could do something.

Hurriedly she clambered to her feet and dashed over to her bag, slinging it over her shoulders.  She was always prepared to go. "Let me come too!" she called, rushing to stand with Olberic and Primrose. "I want to help!"

“I’d prefer not to catch whatever he’s got, so I guess I’ll go with.” Therion said, sounding bored. The thief traveled with nothing as whatever he needed, he simply procured along the way.

Olberic hid his distaste for the comment and merely nodded; he was never quite sure if Therion meant these things or if it was a front he put up. Though he would not choose the path that Therion had choose for himself, he could not deny the man was exceptionally skilled at it and his blades were ever sharp.  To have his skills in their party would help the journey run smoother.

“Let us make haste then and depart.” Olberic said. Turning to the others who remained, “If something changes for better or for worse, make your way to Clearbrook. We’ll be sure to meet on the path if need be.”

Primrose looked over their group and nodded. She had fewer reservations about Therion than Olberic did, mostly because she understood entirely about doing lawless things to get by. But she and Therion never discussed their similarities, and she was happy to keep it that way.  Everyone needs their secrets, after all.

"We'll return as quickly as we can," she said before leading the way out of their camp.

Though Primrose took the lead, Tressa quickly picked up the pace and walked a few paces ahead, clearly nervous and jittery.  "How far is it?" she blurted.

“A few days walk from here if I’m not mistaken.” Olberic replied. “I’ll better be able to tell come the morning.”

Despite the darkness of the night, he could tell clear as day that Tressa was the most concerned of them all. As the youngest of their group, that hardly surprised him and the fact that she was the closest to Alfyn only made it worse.

Therion kept his eyes open and his mouth closed, more concerned about the possibility of an ambush than worrying about what they couldn’t control. 

"A few days?!" The normally cheerful girl sounded distraught at the possibility. "I wish we had a faster way..."

Primrose had her theories as to why Tressa sounded so upset - the other night, the girl had shyly pulled her aside and asked what she should do if she thought she had feelings for someone. Primrose had been caught off guard - not ever really having harbored feelings for someone herself - but she'd tried to find out more information before she committed to an answer, and Tressa had gotten flustered and refused to answer more.

Now, she wondered.

“Maybe I can run it," Tressa mumbled more to herself than to anyone else.

“We’ll have to pace ourselves if we don’t wish to overly tax ourselves.” Olberic cautioned. “The last we want to do is be brought down by some beast along the way because we were too tired to defend ourselves.”

“We’ll get there when we get there Ms. Merchant.” Therion said to Tressa, “just keep your eyes peeled for anything that might want to slow us down.”

If that kept her from worrying so loudly while they traveled then so much the better.

* * *

They'd been walking for a while now, approaching midday, and Tressa was trying to keep herself busy watching for monsters. They'd fled from what they could in the interest of time, but there had been a few where they could not and had had to fight.

And though she needed to rest for a minute, her body aching from the battle, Tressa wanted to press on. They had no apothecary and no healer, but she ignored that and moved forward.

"Tressa," Primrose called after her. "That last battle took a lot out of you. You should rest."

The merchant hesitated but did not stop, not wanting to slow down.  Every time she wanted to slow down, all she could remember was how helpless Alfyn had looked, hardly able to breathe and unable to be woken.

“You haven’t had a night’s sleep since we started this trek.” Olberic pointed out, “And it wouldn’t hurt for us to eat while you rested a moment.”  He himself could go on for many more hours but he knew that he was made of sterner stuff than most; being trained as a knight and marching with an army did have its advantages.

Therion held his tongue.  He wasn’t used to anything more strenuous than leisurely drifting from town to town and any break would be welcome.

Tressa pressed her lips together. She crossed her arms over her chest, exhaling slowly. She didn't want to stop...but that had really worn out her spirit.

Primrose dropped a gentle arm around her shoulders and pulled Tressa to sit down next to her on a log. "Sit down," she urged her, firm but kind. "See if you have anything to eat in your pack."

Tressa nodded and opened her bag, finding some sort of jerky she'd purchased in the last town. It was something easy to grab, at least; she could eat it quickly and be ready to go again.

Therion produced an apple from his cloak and bit into it with a loud crunch, drawing all eyes to him.

“That is all you deemed necessary to bring?” Olberic asked, eyebrow raised. It hadn’t escaped his notice that the thief had not once ever carried a pack of his own larger than a sleeping mat.

“What’s the point in carrying extra things?” Therion countered, “Anything I need, I take. It’s simple enough and I don’t get tired carrying extra before I need it.”

Olberic grunted in reply.

Primrose chuckled and arched an eyebrow at Therion. "In theory this is true," she said, "but then where do you store the things you take?" Her voice was light and a touch teasing, but she was genuinely curious as to his methods.  She knew his fingers were sticky but could rarely recall seeing things he had taken after the fact. 

Tressa scrunched her nose and aggressively ate a piece of beef jerky, the sack wrinkling in her hands. "That's your solution? You just take things?" She looked down at the sack, eating another piece. "People work hard for their things. It's wrong to just take them."

Normally she liked Therion fine enough – she liked all of her friends – but this was the single thing that she could never see eye-to-eye with him on.  How could she?  She was a merchant, and while she would do whatever it took for a good bargain she wouldn’t ever just _take_ things that didn’t belong to her.  That wasn’t how her world worked.

“Then they should work even harder to keep track of them.” Therion responded in a bored voice. Another loud crunch from the apple filled the air. “There’s plenty of people in the world who don’t get robbed you know.”

He left Primrose’s question unanswered, having been reminded of the time he’d attempted to steal from a local lord only to realize he couldn’t carry even a tenth of the loot out himself. In his haste, Therion had neglected to account for the weight of gold bars and had almost been caught during the escape. It was a lesson learned well and one he heeded to this day.

Primrose noticed that her question was ignored and she smirked to herself before Tressa offered her a piece of jerky. Well, that was for another day.

"You just - ugh!" Tressa tossed her hands up. "Forget it. We don't have time to sit here and bicker over what you choose to do. We've got to help Alfyn!"

A gentle hand rested on her back. "We have a plan," Primrose reminded her gently.

“’Tis true.” Olberic said, “Right now that plan includes eating and resting. Alfyn will only be worse off if something were to happen to you along the way.”

Tressa sighed but nodded glumly in agreement. Sir Olberic was right - as always. And she didn't want to be some heartless jerk who pushed her friends to exhaustion, either.  She was admittedly a little worried that they already thought that about her and she knew she had to apologize.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "You're right, we need to slow down. I'm just so worried about him."

Primrose looked up at Olberic and arched her brow.  It seemed as if her theory was right, and she wondered if the man had any sense for why their companion was so worried.

Therion finished his apple and looked at the others’ food. Despite his earlier talk, he was rather hungry and the apple he’d eaten wasn’t going to cut it.  Not that he’d ever admit aloud that Olberic had been right.

Tressa noticed Therion's eye wandering and gave him a sly little smile before holding out her bag of jerky. "You could just ask," she pointed out.

Therion shifted, trying to pretend he had not just been caught. This was foiled by the jingling if the accursed fool's bangle he still wore. It was not the first time since he’d gotten it he wondered if being a one-handed thief would be so hard.

“I suppose I could.” Therion said simply, reaching out. “If you’re offering, then I’ll accept.”

Olberic met Primrose’s eye while the other two were distracted with their not-quite-a-squabble and wondered at it. She seemed to see through matters of the heart as easily as men and woman were entranced by her dances so he wondered what she had gleaned just now. He resolved to ask her when next they had a moment.

Tressa tried to push aside her worry for now and instead focused on making sure that Therion didn't take more than his fair share. "I paid good money for this," she lectured him, but didn't stop him from taking a few pieces. "You're not so sneaky anymore with your bracelet."

Therion narrowed his eyes at the mention of his bracelet, a constant reminder of his failure, but otherwise allowed Tressa to tell him off; beggars can’t be choosers or so they say.

Primrose pulled a lovely, plump plum out of her bag before handing it to Tressa to distract her further and to help regenerate her spirit. Once the girl was sufficiently set with her treat, poking her tongue slightly out at Therion, Primrose crossed to hand Olberic a deliciously tart grape.

“Don't think I did not notice," was all she said as she sat beside him. He'd taken many hits for them all in the thick of the fight and said nothing, bearing every strike in silence.

“I did only what a knight and comrade should do.” Olberic demurred, before accepting the food. “Your thanks are appreciated though.”

It was something he had grown used to over the months. His allies were all powerful in their own right but no one, not even himself, were without flaw on the battlefield. Blows one could not prepare for were certain to happen eventually and if those attacks happened be ones that he could stop in place of his allies, it would dishonorable to do nothing and simply watch.

Primrose smiled a little and leaned back, eyes on Olberic. “It's appreciated,” she said warmly. “I know Tressa is eager to return and is worried, and it's making her actions rash. Pray forgive her.”

She glanced back over to the other woman, and once her tongue had retreated into her mouth Primrose saw that dark cloud of fear crease her brow once more.

Olberic nodded, mindful of Primrose's soft expression as she watched Tressa. While he was a knight and knew nothing if not discipline and focus, he was also human and could not help but occasionally notice her.  She was a lovely woman, both inside and out, and her beauty was striking - especially when in the more quiet moments, and particularly when she was doing nothing out of the ordinary.  Despite that thought, he endeavored not to stare, not to become one of the numerous slack jawed louts they had come across in their travels - the ones that sought her company when it was not desired and let their eyes bore holes through her.  Though she never spoke of how others viewed her, good or ill, he was content to keep it the same between them and said nothing about how she looked in the light.

“We will not tarry long.” Olberic assured her instead, his mind re-focused on their task.

Therion for his part stood, indicating that he was ready to move on whenever the others were.

Tressa stood when she saw Therion stand, hopeful that they were about to move again. Primrose stood as well, ensuring that she had everything.

“I'd say we should carry on," Primrose murmured.

Tressa nodded and pulled her bag back on. “I just hope the others are doing okay...” she whispered as they left the clearing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus, Ophilia, and H'aanit try to take care of Alfyn as best as they can until the others return. Tressa, Primrose, Olberic, and Therion make their way to Clearbrook to find Zeph...and Primrose begins to put together the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are mild references to Alfyn's chapter 1 if you haven't finished it, but nothing so specific as to spoil it!

Ophilia frowned as she clasped one of Alfyn's clammy hands in both of hers. She could feel his energy sapping and eased a little of her own healing light back in to try and make up the difference.  They’d been at this for a few hours now, with Alfyn’s energy bleeding away and Ophilia trying to keep it at normal levels.  She was reluctant to leave his side at this rate.

"Have you any idea what this is, Professor?" she asked, voice a little urgent.

Cyrus pulled his nose out from the book he was currently scanning. It was one of Alfyn’s as he’d quickly exhausted the few he’d carried with him.  Cyrus assumed his friend wouldn’t mind aiding his own cause with his own books.

“I haven’t pinpointed the malady quite yet,” Cyrus said, “But I have narrowed it down considerably I feel. From what we’ve seen of him thus far I believe I can rule out any poison or infection from battle. The lack of wounds on his body help to support this. I believe that only leaves us with a more mundane illness as the culprit...unfortunately I can scarcely say more than that at this time unless more symptoms present themselves.”

So many sicknesses manifested themselves with a fever that it was almost easier to rule out what it couldn’t be at this point. He didn’t doubt his ability to figure out what it might be, just that he could do so in a timelier fashion.

Ophilia nodded worriedly. "And while other symptoms would help us determine what it is...I pray we don't see any more."

Her prayer was that their friend would wake and would chuckle at them all for being so worried about him.  Perhaps he’d flush a little, not with fever, and comment again that his rear was itchy with embarrassment from their concern.  But with how still he was now, that was unlikely to be the case.

H'aanit approached from where she had taken guard. She knew that if anything came to them, she was their current only line of defense, and did not linger with them long. "The beasts aren quiete," she offered. "Hast thou maden progress?"

Ophilia shook her head as she reached for the water skin beside her, intending to try and get at least a little hydration into Alfyn. With how feverish he was, she feared he might dehydrate. "Professor Albright is still searching," she said softly.

“Slow but steady progress.” Cyrus amended. “Doubtless I’ll find it soon but this is not my field of expertise so the work is slower. It would be no different than if either of you were to say, take up dancing like our friend Primrose. You would no doubt become entrancing dancers given enough time, but the beginning would no doubt be worse than my own current efforts.”

Ophilia froze, the mere suggestion one that left her embarrassed.  "I'm...not sure that's a proper thing to say, Professor," Ophilia muttered as she slightly propped Alfyn's head up and held the water skin in hand.

Cyrus looked up in surprise at the words of his comrades. Clearly there had been some misunderstanding.

“Well no but that was the point of the analogy.” Cyrus explained quickly, “I simply meant that like my current difficulty in researching a topic I am unfamiliar with, you might also struggle with something outside your field. I myself possess two left feet so dancing was the first thing that came to mind.”

In the back of his mind, the words from Odette’s letters vied for his attention but were ultimately dismissed in favor of the Ralpanea Disease passage he was currently skimming through.

Ophilia was grateful he hadn't been trying to say anything uncouth, but she couldn't get the image out of her head of herself as a dancer.

"That's just not... _appropriate_ ," she blurted, face turning red as a beet. "As talented and beautiful as Primrose is...I could _never_ show my face in the church again if I tried to dance so..."

H'aanit tossed her head back and laughed; the poor girl was floundering like a creature caught in her snare. "Thy point hath been maden, Cyrus," she chuckled. "T'would be as if I gave thee a bow and told thee to fetchen our supper. We would likely starven."

Cyrus laughed in return. “Quite so. I fancy myself a quick study but I think it would be many nights before something of sustance would be felled by my own arrows.”  The very notion of him drawing a weapon beyond his staff was itself the height of hilarity.

Alfyn stirred lightly and gave Ophilia’s hands a little squeeze.

“Think you’d make a fine dancer little lady.” He said with a weak chuckle before coughing heavily. It felt like his lungs were on fire but everything else in him was far colder.

When a hand squeezed hers, the cleric jumped. "Alfyn!" Ophilia felt a wave of relief; he was awake and that was improvement, wasn't it?

H'aanit knelt beside him, eyes flashing when he coughed. It sounded painful, and she regarded him with concern. "How'rt thou feeling?"

"Please, take it easy," Ophilia said worriedly. "Here. Try to drink some water..."

“Probably the second worst I’ve ever felt.” Alfyn joked quietly. Some more coughing followed and he decided that maybe he should try talking less.  He took the water gratefully and quaffed it down, the feeling of relief at the coldness on his throat. Unfortunately, it ended the moment he finished drinking.

“Thanks.” He rasped when he tried to hand it back. Glancing around he noticed for the first time it was very quiet in the camp. “...where are the others?”

H'aanit sat beside him; Linde took up watch at the outskirts of camp. She would alert them to danger.

"They hath gone to fetchen thy brother," she told Alfyn. "We knew not what ailed thee, and Tressa spake of Zeph. If anyone could curen thee, she thought it would be him."

Ophilia nodded. "And Primrose, Olberic, and Therion went with her. They were hoping it wouldn't be more than a few days." She took the water back. "Please, just try to rest. They'll be back as soon as they can."

Alfyn groaned loudly and laid back down, his eyes closed.

“Are you alright?!” Cyrus asked in concern. Had the symptoms suddenly worsened? He leaned quickly to try and scrutinize the young man for more clues for his sickness.

Ophilia squeezed his hands, gasping at how hot he burned but trying to power through it and will her healing energies into his battered body. "Please, Alfyn, hold on," she whispered. "They'll be back soon...!"

H'aanit frowned in concern as well; he'd suddenly gotten worse out of nowhere and they still had no idea what was ailing him. "Should we make for Clearbrook, meet with the others?" She asked. The huntress was loath to try and move Alfyn when he was so sick, but Olberic had said that if his condition changed to move towards them...

“Zeph is never going to let me live this down.” Alfyn groaned softly between coughs, unaware of his friends’ concern. “What kind of apothecary goes and gets himself so sick _he_ needs one to take care of him?”  His brother was going to hold this over his head for the rest of their lives. He’d only been gone what, a few months maybe? Now he was practically bedridden and calling home for help.

Ophilia breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank the Flame; he wasn't getting worse. He was just concerned about bothering his brother.

H'aanit relaxed as well, trying to reassure him. "Thou'rt still learning," she reminded him softly. "Thou hast said this nearly every daye. Tis no shame in a gap in knowledge other than refusing to fille it."

"I'm sure he'll just want to see you better," Ophilia added. "Please try not to worry."

Cyrus chuckled, “It is rare that one finds any enjoyment from being potentially being scolded by our colleagues but I think Zeph may at least wait until you are well enough to trade barbs back. In the meantime, I suggest you rest. We will ensure you are well enough when they return to see you.”

Alfyn nodded weakly, then squinted at the book Cyrus was holding for a moment.

“Try the last section on inflammation of the lungs.” Alfyn said before coughing loudly. “Definitely some of that with a fever to boot...”

Ophilia looked up to Cyrus. She wasn't sure he'd gotten that far yet, but now they had some sort of direction to take. "We'll look. Please, try not to talk too much. Save your strength."

“Thank you, friend,” Cyrus said, flipping through the pages to the aforementioned section, “This will narrow things down considerably for me. I dare say I may have you properly diagnosed before the others even arrive!”

Even as a layperson in the field of medicine, he knew it was important to keep a patient’s spirits up. While Alfyn seemed to falter far less easily than others this illness did appear to be serious and Cyrus did not wish for him to succumb to despair.

Ophilia’s hands were gentle as she tried to help him settle back in, worry only clouding her features when he wasn't looking at her. She had much fear for his condition, but now that Professor Albright had an idea of where to go, they could cure him. Couldn't they?

H'aanit stood and nodded firmly. "I shall returnen to patrole," she said. "If he worseneth at all, callen for me immediately. Linde, comen."

The leopard at her side, they went to patrol the area for beasts.

* * *

Tressa breathed a sigh of relief when she could see the houses of Clearbrook over the horizon, but she still jittered until they were actually in the town proper.

"This way!" She called over her shoulder, hurrying towards where she remembered Zeph's house to be.

Primrose didn't even try to get her to slow, knowing how worried she'd been. She picked up her own pace as well, glancing back to be sure the men followed.

Tressa reached the middle of the town and approached the he door, knocking on it with a firm desperation. "Zeph! Are you here?!"

It was only a few moments later that the door opened, revealing a startled looking Zeph.

“Yes, that’s me.” He said curiously, looking the group over. “Can I help you? Is one of you sick?”  It wasn’t uncommon for passing travelers to seek him out as he was the only apothecary in town.

“Nay, not one of us.” Olberic said, “We sought your help as we could not move them, sick as he is.”

Tressa puffed her cheeks. They didn't have time for this pronoun game; why didn't anyone just say who needed help?

"It's Alfyn!" Tressa finally blurted. "He has a really bad fever and I couldn't wake him. He told us all about you and if anyone can help him it's you!" It all came out in one frenzied breath and her hands tightened around the straps of her backpack.

Suddenly, Zeph was all business.

“Alfyn?” He asked again, confirming his fear.

Primrose nodded her head and looked to Zeph. "It seemed serious, and we don't know what ails him," she agreed. "We're camped a few days' walk from here. Please, can you come?"

He blew out a slow breath before nodding.  “Okay, I’ll be ready to go shortly.” He turned back to the inside of his house. “Nina! Come here please!”

He couldn’t risk bringing her with them out of the village; the last time she’d ventured outside had been disastrous and he wasn’t going to risk two members of his family today.

Nina happily skipped to her brother's side, smiling up at him and waving at the strangers at the door. Everyone seemed really serious though, and she sobered slightly as well. "Yes, Zeph?" she asked, searching for any sign that things were okay.

Primrose's expression softened. She felt for the girl; she'd been so, so sick not so long ago. Hopefully they could solve this without causing her any undue worry.

Zeph took a knee so that he was eye level with Nina.

“There’s someone sick outside of town and these people need me to help them.” Zeph explained quickly, not wanting to worry her by telling her that Alfyn was the one who was deathly ill.  “I want you to stay with Meryl while I’m out, okay? I’ll only be gone a few days.”

Therion watched disinterestedly from behind the others. They were wasting time as far as he was concerned; he’d survived far worse than being alone a few days when he was younger than this girl.

Nina nodded, clearly still a little worried but knowing that her brother was the best apocktheery around, she understood that he had to go.

"Kay," she said and hugged him. "Love you, big brother!"

She turned and puttered off in the direction of Meryl's house.

Primrose sighed softly. Nina was truly lucky to have Zeph. With her family dead, she'd never had anyone to rely on, and it lightened her heart to see how much Zeph cared for his sister.  She endeavored not to keep Zeph from Nina for too long.

"Thank you so much," Tressa said, clearly relieved but ready to get back on the road. "Really, thank you."

“Thank _you_ for coming to get me.” Zeph said after watching Nina head towards Meryl, “If you need supplies for the trip back, the provisioner’s store is just behind my house. I’ll need a moment to pack up my own supplies and then I’ll be ready to follow you. Meet me by the eastern entrance to town when you’re ready.”

Without waiting for a response from the group, he quickly dashed inside his home.

“‘‘Twas a good idea to come here for him.” Olberic commented, “I doubt we would have found someone willing to go this far for Alfyn otherwise.”

Primrose nodded. "Indeed," she agreed, placing a hand on Tressa's shoulder. "That was the right thing to do."

Tressa nodded, though her stomach was still churning. She just hoped they'd be back in enough time...but Zeph was with them. It would turn out, wouldn't it? She had to believe that.

"We should get at least a few things," Primrose said. "We went through much of what we had on the journey here."

"I'll handle it," Tressa blurted. She needed to do something useful to keep her mind busy, and she was better at haggling. She patted her pockets to make sure that she had her coin pouch before dashing off to the general store.

"There she goes," Primrose said, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

“With all our money.” Therion reminded them all, “I’d rather not become destitute because her head wasn’t in the game to haggle a better price.”

Without another word, he walked off after her. In truth he respected her skill as a merchant greatly and was more concerned with someone taking advantage of her now as an easy mark. Years of doing so himself had taught him the signs and made him wary.

Primrose's soft expression morphed into more of a smirk. Therion wasn't fooling her. Tressa had a way of sneaking into people's hearts and it seemed he'd been a victim as well.

"Now," she said to Olberic with a sigh. "We wait. And while they're away, I need to tell you something. But you must swear on your honor as a knight not to breathe a word of it." Here she turned and lay her hand on Olberic's bicep as she spoke. "I think I know why Tressa has herself in knots."

“You have my word.” Olberic said solemnly, bowing his head briefly. “If you believe you know the true cause of her worry, pray tell me what it is.”  He regarded her curiously; what could the reason be that he should be sworn to such secrecy?

A smile curled Primrose's lips and she chuckled softly. "So serious," she teased softly. "But thank you."

She looked away to ensure Tressa and Therion were still busy before leaning closer. "Though I'm not sure she knows it herself yet...I believe Tressa is quite sweet on Alfyn." She couldn't help but smile.

She'd seen them for weeks now, watching them grow closer. She didn't know if they were aware, or even if Alfyn returned Tressa's affections...but she suspected that was the root cause of her worry.  That combined with Tressa’s question the other night completed the picture.

Olberic blinked once and then laughed heartily, the sound rich and deep.

“Truly?” He asked in amusement. “I must be honest, ‘tis not what I expected it to be. They are both young though, and love is known to blossom most freely amongst the young.”

He turned his gaze over to the younger girl currently getting their provisions. She _had_ been spending much of their travels conversing with Alfyn exclusively.

“Has she spoken to you on the matter?” He asked lightly, “she speaks with you most freely.”

"Well...I believe she wanted to." Primrose followed his gaze. "Once after her watch with him, when he had gone to sleep and I was still awake, she came to me, face flaming and fingers trembling. She asked me how to tell if you had feelings for someone, and what to do..."

Her smile turned a little wistful. "As I had...never experienced it in the way she had, I wasn't sure that my experience would be helpful to her. But when I tried to ask more probing questions to see if I could assist, she got even redder and squeaked that she had to go to bed and to never mind."

She chuckled. "I'm sure it had nothing to do with how Alfyn turned over and mumbled in his sleep not three feet from us."

"I’m sure.” Olberic chuckled in return, “I think they would be a fit match, they both have a strong sense of justice and large hearts. The difference in how they view the coin purse might prove...challenging though.” He could already see Tressa balking at the idea of becoming a free traveling merchant. “It will no doubt be an interesting courtship if it occurs.”

"Haha. I doubt he'd want to change her that way. Their lines of work are quite different." But she could imagine the argument and it made her smile.

Looking away from Tressa and Therion he turned to Primrose, “I’m surprised you thought yourself unknowledgeable on the matter though. Since we’ve met you seem to have given countless welcomed pieces of advice to all of us. I had grown use to your counsel despite how young you are.”

Primrose didn't blush easily, but she did take his compliment with a bit of surprise. "Thank you," she said. "It's simply not something I've experienced myself in the same way as her. I've never had that young, bubbly puppy love - a crush."

She'd wondered what it was like to love so wholeheartedly. She wondered if she'd ever know. With her life focused on revenge, hopes of love had been the first to go. But now...her eyes met his for a moment.

Tressa came bounding over to them breathlessly with Therion in tow. "Come on," she panted, oblivious to their conversation. "We've gotta go meet Zeph!"

Olberic had more to say to Primrose but let the half former thoughts fade when Tressa rushed over; there were more important things at hand now.

“Let us make haste then.” Olberic said, leading the others to the rendezvous point. Zeph was already there, looking eager to be gone and wearing a pack that rivaled Tressa’s in size.

“I’ve brought everything that I could think of to treat him with me.” Zeph said in answer to the unasked question. “I’ll want to treat him as soon as possible and this would be faster than having to forage for something I didn’t bring.”

Tressa nodded, simultaneously relieved and worried that Zeph was proceeding with such haste. She was ready to get back to the others and eagerly followed Primrose out of the village.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group returns to camp with Zeph to see what can be done...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience with my typos and small edits. I swear I'm competent but this was an RP we did entirely on our phones so...autocorrect is rude sometimes and my brain doesn't even register when I make mistakes.

H'aanit sat by the fire as Linde patrolled, her tail switching from side to side.  To be frank, the monsters knew better than to bother their group – H’aanit had chased off a horde on the first night, and now the monsters wanted nothing to do with them.  Thus, she felt fine letting Linde take watch so she had a chance to cook for the others.

The huntress stirred at the broth she was making, a small meal for their small group. The pheasant-like creatures were known for a delicious taste and stock made from their bones was nutritious, so it felt apt to make it now.

"Hath he eaten?" she murmured to Ophilia.

The cleric huffed a soft laugh. "I'm not sure who you mean," she chuckled. "I believe Professor Albright has been in his book for a while, and Alfyn is still sleeping. But I think the Professor could benefit from a break..."

“Hm?” Cyrus said, stirred from his research. “Did you call my name?” He was about to ask what they were discussing when a loud growl interrupted him. He looked about for half a second before realizing that it was his stomach.

“Pardon me,” He said sheepishly, “I became so engrossed in my work that...”  He trailed off awkwardly.

H'aanit chuckled warmly. "As I suspected," she said. "Comen. Tis almost ready." She gestured him over with her arm.

Ophilia stayed where she was near Alfyn; she'd had to use a bit of her healing every few hours or so at this point and she was becoming more worried. "I'll have some later," she deflected instead, concerned about leaving his side at this point.

H'aanit served up some of the soup and handed it to Cyrus but gave Ophilia a look as if debating whether or not to force the issue.

Cyrus thanked H’aanit but then offered the bowl to Ophilia first.

“Strenuous as research can be, I doubt it can compare to ever constant healing you’ve tirelessly performed on our friend.” Cyrus said kindly, “I would be remiss if I allowed myself to feast before you, Sister.”

Ophilia hesitated, but accepted the food when Cyrus offered it to her. "Thank you," she murmured. The bowl warmed her hands and the smell right before her made her realize how hungry she was.

"Do you think the others will be back soon?" She asked softly.

“Doubtless they are already on their way back.” Cyrus added, “Sir Olberic would not lead a slow charge, one should think.”

"They willen returnen anon," H'aanit said. "I feelen that Tressa would not leten them lingeren, even if they wanted."

Ophilia chuckled softly at that. "You're right. I'm sure they'll be back soon..."  Even as she sipped at the broth, she couldn't help but glance back at Alfyn with worry.  "Have you had any luck, Professor?"

“Alfyn’s help narrowed it down considerably,” Cyrus said brightly, “I have not the materials, nor the skill frankly, to make something that could cure him but from what I can tell his life should not be in any more danger than it is provided we continue replenishing his stamina periodically.”

Cyrus glanced over to Alfyn, who lay nearby dreaming fitfully. He had not awoken since telling them about his other symptoms which was troubling to say the least.

“Until the others arrive, we simply have to wait and keep doing what we’ve been doing.” Cyrus said simply, before looking to Ophilia and smiling “I believe that you would call that ‘having faith’, Sister.”

Ophilia was drawn out of her concern for just a moment, cheeks pinking slightly at Cyrus' words. "Professor," she murmured, touching her cheek. "Yes. You are absolutely right. We just have to have faith."

"Thou hast done thy parte," H'aanit assured Cyrus as she served him a bowl of soup as well. "Tis all we can asken of thee. Our groupe willen returnen." She found herself quite charmed by how he warmly reassured Ophilia when the girl needed it most, renewing her faith. Cyrus was an interesting man for sure.

They ate and talked quietly for a while, H'aanit stoking the fire as the night cooled, but after a while they heard voices beyond their camp.

"This way," Primrose's voice led them back towards camp.

"They're back!" Ophilia said, her heart soaring with hope.

Olberic was the first one to make it into the clearing.

“Ah, here we are.” He said, his deep voice cutting through the dark. “Zeph, he’s this way.”

Not a moment later, Zeph pushed his way through the bushes and into the camp as well. He took half a moment to glance around before zeroing in on Alfyn.

“Alfyn!” He cried, rushing over to him and crouching beside him. Zeph’s eyes went from concerned to critical as he began quickly mentally diagnose his friend.  He tried not to lose himself in the thought of how close they were after all these years together – it might be more accurate to call Alfyn his brother at this point, but he needed to push that aside for now.

“Tell me everything you can about what’s ailing him and any symptoms he’s had.” Zeph said to Ophilia quickly.

Tressa and Primrose followed behind Olberic, and Tressa barely managed to force herself to hang back and stay out of the way. Primrose's hand at the small of her back grounded her and they walked to find a place to sit together.

Ophilia knelt beside Zeph, taking Alfyn's hand once more and pushing more of her healing in to help keep his stamina up.

"He's burning with fever," she said. "Tressa came to wake him for watch and he didn't stir. He was awake for a little while the others went for you...he mentioned that we should look at the section in his book about lung infections. He coughed almost the entire time he was awake, and we haven't been able to get him to eat or drink. He's been asleep since that brief period awake, though occasionally he still coughs in his sleep."

Her voice was even as she related everything.  She tried not to leave anything out, hoping that what they’d seen would help.

“This was the chapter in question.” Cyrus said, offering the book to Zeph. “I believe I have eliminated at least a few possibilities but as a layman in the field of medicine I defer to your superior knowledge.”

“Thank you,” Zeph said distractedly, taking the book from Cyrus and setting it beside himself. He was already unpacking his supplies, ready to begin mixing his medicine.

As Therion slinked into camp and took a seat, Olberic watch Zeph work.

 _To save a loved one’s life is a noble cause but watching him work on Alfyn, I would now say I could not wish that upon anyone_.

Tressa kept her eyes on Zeph as he worked, leaning slightly into Primrose's side. She wanted to help somehow, but what would she be able to do? Her talents were in purchasing - and if there was something they could have bought to save Alfyn she'd have done it in a heartbeat.

"Fearen not, Tressa." H'aanit sat on her other side. "I knowen that Zeph willen solven this."

But she noticed how the girl's eyes never left Alfyn and Zeph, and she smiled to herself. She recognized that look from some of the other women in the village. That persistent First Blush. The look that Primrose gave her in return indicated that she was spot on.

"I have been healing him where I can," Ophilia said softly, "but the Sacred Flame's light can only do so much."

Zeph nodded, “Thank you, Sister. From what I can tell so far and from what you’ve told me, if it weren’t for your healing I wouldn’t be treating him now. If this is what I think it is, I should hopefully have him on the mend by the morning. If someone could gather some water and set it to boil please I would appreciate it. I may have need of it soon.”

Tressa leapt to her feet. "I'll go get the water," she said immediately. She hated sitting around powerless and this was something she could do.

H'aanit stood. "I willen finden something she canen use for boiling," she said.

Not wanting to mince words for much longer, Zeph dove in full force.

Therion unpacked his sleeping bag and laid it out on a flat patch of ground.

“If that’s it, I’m going to sleep.” He announced. “Traveling to and from nonstop like a horse isn’t my forte. Wake me when something good happens.”

Without another word, he laid down and turned away from the group and the fire lighting the camp. The trip had really tired him out and despite his words, he merely wanted to be rested when Alfyn awoke.

Primrose knew that her companions had this under control and nodded. "Then I believe I will rest for a while as well. Please, wake me if I'm needed."

The last leg of the trip had been difficult. They'd been reluctant to slow down with Zeph in tow and had made minimal stops. She wanted Tressa to rest as well, but she knew that wasn't going to happen.

Instead, as she turned in for the evening, she hoped that the girl would take care of herself.

* * *

Tressa had taken up Ophilia's place for watch to allow the cleric to rest, though Ophilia had made them promise to wake her if she was needed. Now she sat nearby, not wanting to be in Zeph's way and trying instead to read the nameless traveler's journal.  She wanted to ask after Alfyn, wanted to see how he was doing, but she didn’t want to interrupt his work. And when H'aanit insisted that she would take watch, there was no place for Tressa's nervous energy to go.  Despite her worry, it wasn’t long before Tressa slumped back against the tree she sat against and fell into a restless sleep.

Zeph worked late into the night, mixing various medicines for Alfyn to try and noting which ones seemed to produce results. It was long, tedious work but Zeph persisted with fire in his eyes. His brother’s life was on the line and he couldn’t afford to slack off now.

When the sun rose, Zeph sighed and sat back. After wiping the sweat from his brow he called for the others to gather round.

“What news?” Olberic asked, the first to be roused from his slumber.

Tressa jerked awake only moments after Olberic, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she rolled over from where she'd apparently nested with Linde sometime near dawn. The creature blinked down at her slowly; H'aanit had explained enough animal body language for Tressa to know it was an affectionate gesture. A tiny smile crossed her face as she petted behind the leopard's ears. 

“Good news and bad.” Zeph said tiredly, drawing Tressa's attention. “The good news is he’s stabilized and will recover a bit. The bad news is I’ve identified the sickness and it’s serious.  It’s parpoxitis…with what I have here I can treat symptoms but they’ll just manifest again later. I need to treat the root cause, and to do that I’ll need something rare...”

She was fully awake just in time to hear Zeph's words, and it felt like someone had dropped a lead ball into her stomach. He didn't have everything he needed? But how; he'd brought so much...?

Primrose and Ophilia listened as well, their faces serious. "What are you missing?" the cleric asked. "Is it something we can find?"

"I'll help," Tressa blurted. "Wherever you need to go, I'll go too - just say where!"

“What I need is Hoarfrost Lilies.” Zeph said slowly, “I can use their petals with these other ingredients to make a tincture that will eradicate this sickness permanently. There’s only one problem...”

Ophilia's eyes flashed with worry as she looked to the others. "It's out of season," she said softly. "It will be quite difficult to find one this time of year."

“Exactly.” Zeph sighed before angrily pounding a fist into the ground beside him, “By the gods I’ll see this done but I _need_ those lilies. There has to be somewhere we can find them.”

“Wellspring.” Therion said. All eyes turned to him immediately. For his part, he still wore the same disinterested expression that seemed to be his default one. “It’s close enough and happens to be the location of the black market. Beats trying to shake down every florist and apothecary in the land for some flower instead.”

Tressa felt her heart leap. There was hope! A fire sparked in her.

"That's perfect," she declared, fists clenched. "We have to do it. It's our only chance!"  She planted her hands on her hips. "And if they're selling, there's not a thing I can't bargain out of 'em!" For the first time in days she felt hopeful. This was her territory.

Therion sighed and stood up. “I guess you’ll need me to come with you. Again.” He moved to start packing his thing up once more. “Should start thinking about charging for being so ‘helpful’.”

Tressa was so thankful for his suggestion she wouldn't even rise to the bait. "I'll just bargain you down," she said happily as she shrugged on her backpack.

Olberic also began to pack his things once more. Therion and Tressa were both capable but he worried about their safety if it was just the two of them traveling. And this was something he could do - he couldn't concoct mixtures like Zeph or Alfyn and he had no healing magic to speak of like Ophilia did. This would be the best way he could contribute. 

Primrose gathered her things, her eyes on Tressa. The girl hadn't slept in gods knew how long, and she was clearly going to run herself into the ground at this rate. "I'll join you," was all she said. "I know the Sunlands." She also knew the ilk of the merchants there and suspected her presence would be an asset. 

In reality she wanted to try to keep an eye on Tressa.

Ophilia stood and faced the leaving group. "We will take care of him until you return. May the Sacred Flame guide your path."

Sensing their fatigue, she gave a little of her healing power to helping them, though she saved most of it in case it was needed at camp.

“Thank you.” Olberic said solemnly, “We will return as soon as we are able and with the lily in our possession, gods willing. Stay safe until we return.”

The others said their goodbyes as well and before long they set off towards the Sunlands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I unfortunately lost track of the website but the illness name comes from an AI that apparently creates names of illnesses. I liked this one. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's commented so far - it really means a lot!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Primrose tries to get to the heart of the matter with Tressa and Alfyn, and the group finds the lily! But will they be able to convince the merchant to part with it?

Tressa crowed in relief when they came into Wellspring a very long four days later. They'd gotten in by the skin of their teeth, just skirting in after a particularly rough battle left them all winded. "Whew...boy, that was tough," she declared. "But we made it! Now, what to do...?"

"Well, Tressa," Primrose murmured. "It isn't as if we can ask everyone around about a black market."

Tressa turned to Therion expectantly. "Well...?"

“The ale house.” Therion said immediately, “We’ll find our answer there, likely from the mouth of someone who’s well into their cups. The inn should be the first stop though; I’d like rest a bit before we get started.”

Olberic nodded, “I find it hard to imagine black market deals occurring before midday so resting at the Inn should not waste any time.”

It would also be a relief for him to set down his gear and lay on a bed for the first time in weeks. Though he was used to sleeping in his armor and carrying a full pack for days, it was always a good thing to be able to rest well when he was able.

Tressa nodded, a little reluctantly. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to rest, but maybe she could use this time to scope out the rest of the town and get a sense of how far their money would go here.  But she tried to sound cheerful. "I bet I can get us a better deal at the inn," she grinned.

Primrose nodded. "Then it sounds as if we have a plan."

Stopping briefly to ask a townsperson for directions, Primrose led the way to the inn to set up their lodgings.

After much haggling on Tressa’s part ended with a reasonable discount, Olberic finally set down his pack in the room he shared with Therion. Since Therion had immediately departed for the ale house that left him the room to himself. He removed the heavy armor he’d always wore, taking meticulous care to set it on the nearby desk just so, and laid down on the bed with a satisfied sigh. It had been quite some time since he’d last felt a mattress beneath him and it was good feeling to be reminded of.

Primrose set down her bag and watched Tressa do the same. "We should make use of the baths," she said with a little smile.  "It would do us both well."

Tressa hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Okay," she agreed. There wasn't anything they could do until at least midday, Therion had said, and...she was pretty grungy. It was a wonder Prim even wanted to share a room with her. "I guess I do stink," she laughed.

"Well. It's a hazard of the road," Primrose chuckled. "Let's unpack first and then we'll go down."

Tressa meticulously arranged her things for a moment before Primrose's voice drew her out of her thoughts. "Tressa. Are you alright?"

Her voice was so soft and concerned that Tressa caved a little and answered honestly. "I'm just worried," she admitted quietly. "I can't stop thinking about him."

In the other room, Olberic perked up slightly at sound of his comrades’ voices. Keen ears from years of listening for ambushes and thin walls between the rooms allowed him to overhear them without really meaning to do so. It sounded as if Primrose was attempting to get to the heart of the matter between Tressa and Alfyn.

He turned on his side, unwilling to move from the bed due to his fatigue but trying to give the others their privacy. Tressa would no doubt be embarrassed enough to have this conversation at all, let alone with an audience.

Primrose nodded and curled a gentle hand around Tressa's shoulder. "It's understandable," she said. "He's a good friend of yours."

The blush that sprouted on Tressa's cheeks told her all she needed to know.

"Or is it something else?" Primrose encouraged softly. "I didn't see you this worked up when Cyrus had food poisoning, or Ophilia had the flu."

Tressa fiddled with her little necklace, a habit she'd picked up since leaving home. "I don't even know," she mumbled. "I just get all happy when Alfyn smiles and when he smiles at me my stupid heart beats stupid fast."

It was so pure and cute that Primrose was almost thrown off from her point, so she refocused. "Tressa. No matter what your feeling is...please be careful. People do foolish things out of fear...and out of love."

Changing positions had done nothing to block out the sound so Olberic resigned himself to listen. On the whole, he agreed with Primrose’s point. Many were the number of fools that could count fear or love as their motivation. Tressa was also very young and they were usually the most susceptible to rash actions. The way the girl was pushing herself as of late, he was glad Primrose had taken the time to speak to her about it; coming from him it would have sounded as admonishment but from her it would seem more based on concern.

Properly chastised, Tressa lowered her eyes and nodded. But Primrose just gave her a gentle smile and squeezed her shoulder.

"Now," she said with a little lilt to her voice. "Why don't we head down to the baths. I'm sure it'll be nice to have a break from the boys."

Tressa let our a little giggle about that. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "It would be nice."

They gathered their things and headed for the baths, Tressa still quietly mulling over Primrose's words.

It wasn’t until late afternoon that Therion returned with the good news. A guide would be bringing them to the location this evening and there was even a seller for the lilies they wanted. It gave them a few hours to rest, bathe, eat, and generally recharge being tackling this next problem.

The guide woman was mostly silent, leading them not far out of town to a large caravan of wagons.  Therion quietly pointed out to Tressa that the reason there was a herd of wagons was so that people could pack up and get the hell out in the event of danger. There, they found many people from different lands buying and selling things that all seemed too good to be true for a merchant to have obtained officially.  There were many bright colors of the wares, though the wagons themselves were mostly subdued colors to blend in and appear nonthreatening at a glance.

Tressa's heart slammed in her chest as they followed the guide woman, boots sinking into the soft sand while they trudged. As a merchant she generally wasn't okay with the idea of a black market...but when she thought of Alfyn, feverish and barely able to breathe, she steeled herself. It was her turn to help. She could do this. Nobody could find a bargain like her.

Therion chuckled as they wandered through, “I recognize some of my marks for sale. Seems they’ve changed hands quite a bit since I last obtained them.”

"Do you now?" Primrose gave him a sly little smile. "You'll have to walk us through the history of whatever you just swiped from that merchant."  The thief just blinked slowly, not giving Primrose the satisfaction of an answer.

"Guess I couldn't have expected anything else," Tressa mumbled. But she couldn't worry too much about it when she saw another merchant just a few stalls down, a beautiful ice-blue flower among his possessions.

"That's it!" she cried and hurriedly made her way over to him, barely pausing to apologize to the people she bumped into on the way. "Excuse me. How much are you asking for the flower?"

The man gave her the side eye before examining the group as a whole. All foreigners to this land, save the dancer, though none looked like they might hail from the frost lands. Internally, he smiled to himself.

“You mean these Hoarfrost Lilies?” The man asked smoothly, gesturing towards the shelf of potted lilies. His free hand stroked his goatee as he regarded the party.  His eyes latched immediately onto the youngest, the one who looked ready to vibrate out of existence.

She nodded. "Yeah. The Hoarfrost lilies." Mentally Tressa took stock of what they had in the way of money. Their funds were a little low from their recent long trek, but she was sure the price would be reasonable - and she'd be able to haggle with him. She was brimming with confidence. "How much for the potted Hoarfrost lily?"

Primrose scanned the man. Though she was nowhere near as perceptive as Cyrus, she didn't like the vibe she got from this man.  He had a wicked darkness to his gaze, one that he could never hide no matter how he tried.

“They’re quite rare you know.” The merchant said slowly, as he sized her up. It was clear that she was a merchant of sorts as well...but the way she seemed particularly interested in the plant told him that this transaction was less business and more necessity. That he could exploit. “I typically part with one of the plants for a meager sum, only 10,000 leaves, during the summer when they’re plentiful. Now that they’re out of season though... ” He trailed off as if he shared their pain, even throwing in a little fake sigh. “I’m afraid I’ll have to part with them for a much higher sum. 50,000 leaves is the going rate for these lilies now.”  He paused to brush an invisible grain of sand off of his table.

"F-fifty thousand?!" Tressa couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. That was _impossible_ for her to pay; they barely had 8,000 to their names and that left them with _nothing_ to get back.

"Even when they're in season they aren't worth that!" she tried to argue. "They're worth 5,000 at most in season!  You can just go pick them yourself!"

No. Noooo nono no this couldn't be happening.

“5,000 for just a stem or a leaf _maybe_ if the seller is generous.” The merchant said, “But for the whole plant or more importantly the petals? 10,000 is a fair price. Considering the fact you’ll not find these lilies anywhere else in the world right now, I’d say 50,000 per plant is a very fair price.”  He knew that the group needed this plant - the girl would have just walked away if she didn’t. The price was at his discretion now; he held all the power. His lips curled in a smirk, blue eyes flashing.

Therion’s eyes narrowed throughout the exchange. It didn’t take a thief to recognize highway robbery when he saw it happening.  The fact that Tressa didn’t recognize it, that she was playing right into his hands, irked him.

Primrose had heard enough.  Before Tressa could work herself further into a frenzy, Primrose placed a hand on her shoulder and gently nudged her aside. She gave her a look as if to say _let me handle this_.

She placed her hands on the table, pressing her arms slightly together to lift her breasts up and highlight her cleavage.

"You're so business savvy," she purred with a sly little smile that seemed to be only for him. "And that's why I'm going to make you a new deal. My friend will count her coin out while I do a dance for you..."

Her hand reached out and stroked his stubbled cheek briefly. "It's ever so important."

The merchant’s eyes dropped down for a moment when she leaned forward, and a self satisfied smile touched his when when her hand brushed his cheek.

“Who am I to pass up a dance from one as _lovely_ as you?” He said, his eyes running up and down her body in a quick pass.

Olberic’s hand tightened on his arm as he stood with his arms crossed and observed. He knew not how Primrose was able to keep her composure around such men when they eyed her so; it angered him to see they way their gazes undressed her, taking account of her as if she were little more than livestock. The only saving grace was that he knew she could handle herself and that in this instance, she was hoping to make this man act foolishly.

Primrose smiled, the mole by her lip moving as her lips curled. Tressa had her skills, but with a man as low as this, Primrose knew she had to exercise her own.  She let her body roll and move to an inaudible beat, one that she knew by heart, as she'd heard it every night on the stage of Sunshade. But she let herself fall into it, knowing they had to get this plant.

Tressa couldn't help the way her mouth dropped slightly. Prim was _beautiful_. And she moved with such a confident grace that it was so easy to be pulled into her orbit.

When she'd finished, Primrose smiled and gave the man a little wink. "I pray you enjoyed the show."

“It was quite enjoyable.” The man said with a little nod.  That would keep him warm for many nights. He then looked over to Tressa, whose mouth was still agape, as if he’d just finished speaking to a small child and was now back on to grown up matters. “Now have you counted out the 50,000 leaves yet or do you need a little more time? I think we would both prefer for the count to be accurate, wouldn’t you agree?”

Primrose frowned and almost instantly recoiled. Was she losing her charm? This was twice recently that she'd failed to allure someone onto handing over what she'd needed and she frowned at the thought.

Was she...getting too old for this?

Tressa groaned in frustration. "Come on! Her performance is worth half of what you're asking!" She was losing her cool now, and she hated it. This guy knew they were desperate and wasn't budging.

Olberic was mildly surprised. He hadn’t thought this unscrupulous merchant to be immune to Primrose’s charms; few men or women were. They were dealing with a very keen mind and perhaps there was a more direct way of dealing with this...

“You’re asking me to take an experience as payment?” The merchant asked as if amused by the very idea, laying a hand on his belly as he laughed. “Come now my friend, we both know a merchant shouldn’t accept something immaterial for something material.”  He reached out to tap Tressa’s forehead, sending a spike of fury through her. “Now are we going to do business or not? Time is money, my friends, and I have other wares for other buyers.”

Olberic had heard enough and stepped forward to stand beside Primrose at the counter, his eyes locked on the merchant. He carefully extended his arm out to the side and moved Primrose behind him.

Primrose was more than a little surprised when she was gently moved aside. She looked up into Olberic's eyes, caught off guard by the fire there. He was done sitting back at this point and was stepping in to assist.

“I would have words with you,” Olberic ground out, “And perhaps more depending on what is said.”

"Sir Olberic..." Tressa balled her hands into fists. Her head was swimming and her heart was pounding, but she knew everything was going to be okay now. Sir Olberic wouldn't let this man push them around.  Her hand flew to her necklace and she gripped it tightly.

“Words my good sir?” The merchant said pleasantly. He stepped around from the counter to stand face to face with Olberic. “Whatever do you wish to talk about.”

“Your practices are dishonorable.” Olberic stated, “I wish to amend that; I challenge you to arms, fair and square. If I win you will sell us the lily at a _fair_ price, no more absurd markups.” It was beyond Olberic’s methods to simply assault the man and take his wares; his honor would permit no such thing.

“A challenge?” His belly shook with a laugh.  “Why not? A friendly sparring match would be good practice; it has been some time since my sword arm has seen serious use.”

The people at the next stall over all turned to look at the sounds of their voices. Nobody really looked alarmed by the challenge, though Primrose noticed one of the women glancing down and up approvingly at Olberic.

"It seems we're going to be drawing ourselves some attention," Primrose remarked softly to Therion.

Tressa looked back at the people all turning attention to them. A nervous thrill fluttered through her stomach; there was no way that Sir Olberic would lose.

“He’s not the first nor the last one to come to blows as a negotiation tactic.” Therion said dismissively, “so long as their own stands and wares are untouched, the others will turn a blind eye.”

His eyes drifted over to the lilies at the stand and then back towards the other two men. They had both drawn their swords and had moved a little away for extra some space.

“Are you ready my friend?” The merchant said in a deceptively easy voice. His tone did not match the glint in his eye or the dangerous gleam of his weapon.

“I am.” Olberic said, his own greatsword drawn. “Have at you!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite everyone's best efforts, the merchant will not budge. Tressa realizes now that her money will not take her far here, and she makes her ultimate offer.

Olberic faced the man down, eyes scanning to see if he could find any give in the man’s defense.  They circled each other for a moment before each man charged to meet in the middle. Metal on metal clanged aloud, and a few gasps were wrought from the people at nearby stands.  

The merchant was deceptively strong.  Olberic knew better than to underestimate his opponents’ strength simply based on looks, but this man had a fighting style where he would project weaknesses...only to turn around and attack when Olberic would try to go for them.  He was good at drawing one in and directing them exactly where he wanted them.

But there was no other option.  He could not be felled by this man when their companion needed the lily.  He bided his time, striking when he was able and slowly building up the strength necessary to unleash it all in his strongest blow.

“ _My blade is_ **_unbending!_** ” Olberic roared as he surged forth.

The hit was true, and the merchant was barely able to throw up his own weapon to avoid the worst of the damage.  A skilled flick of Olberic’s wrist caught the blade and sent it spinning to stick into the sands a few feet away.  The man groaned and sank down to one knee, glowering up at Olberic. “I yield,” he admitted gruffly.  

Tressa fist pumped eagerly at the sight of the man on one knee, heavily winded by the match.  He looked defeated and aggravated, and it made her sigh in relief. As she'd known - there was no way the knight could lose.

"Sir Olberic, you're amazing!" she crowed. Her heart lifted at the thought that now they'd be able to actually afford the lilies, and they could get back to camp and help Alfyn!

Primrose smiled, placing her hand on Olberic's shoulder. "Well, you've made a fine showing," she said with a low purr to her voice as the crowd watching them began to scatter. "That'll teach him."

"Now! Sir Olberic beat you, so the lilies are a fair price!" Tressa planted her hands on her hips. "Name it!"

“50,000 leaves.” The merchant wheezed as he picked himself up, a weak smile on his face. “As I said, these are rare and out of season and as I’m the _only_ merchant in all the lands who sells these, my prices are _always_ the fairest you’ll find.”

“Such dishonest trickery!” Olberic practically snarled, his hand on the pommel of his sword.

“Ah ah ah.” The merchant said, holding out a hand.  He had figured this man out in a heartbeat and went in for the kill.  “You call yourself honorable Sir Knight, yes? Pray tell me; what _honor_ is there one striking  down a defeated merchant over a pricing disagreement? What _honor_ is there in taking my wares for yourself without payment simply because you can?”  Another smirk crossed his face at his own words.

Olberic growled and sheathed his sword. The merchant had him, using wordplay and his own honor code against him. The other man’s eyes dropped down to the sheathed sword and then back up to Olberic’s own eyes. He smiled at the knight in a self satisfied way and went back to stand behind his counter, limping slightly along the way.

“Now then, I must ask you to either pay up or please leave,” the merchant said, “the night is young and I have much else to sell to others who are willing to pay.”

"You can't do that!" Tressa snapped, hating the way her face flamed red. But she knew that he could indeed do it - as he'd said, he was the only merchant selling the flower and it was out of season, and she couldn't just go get one out of the caves herself. With it out of season, she had no hope.

Alfyn had no hope.  A lump stuck in her throat at the thought.

"Fine!" Tressa dropped her backpack and began rummaging through it. First she held out the coin purse. "There's 8,000 leaves. And the rest I can make up in equipment!"

She placed her bow down on the table, a twinge of regret filling her as she remembered how H'aanit had spent hours teaching her proper form. Next was her spear, one of the finest they'd found in their journey.  She remembered how proud she’d been to find that one and the first enemy she’d felled with it.

"Tressa - " Primrose touched her arm, tried to get her to stop, but Tressa shrugged her off.  Her eyes burned with hurt and anger and she couldn’t do anything about it.

"I have armor, too!" She took off the spiked vest and dropped it onto the growing pile. "I'll give you everything. Even this."

Her hand closed around the necklace her mother had put around her neck before she'd left Rippletide. It was a gold pendant with a beautiful green stone, though it was on some simple twine that didn’t really match. But that had always added to the charm. She'd seen her mother wear it every single day growing up - it had been the gift her father presented the night they'd married.  And her mother had presented it to her the day she’d left, telling her it would always be her connection to the tides of home.

Closing her eyes, she jerked her arm and snapped the string before adding the necklace to the pile.

"It's everything I have," she said, voice a little quiet.

Here the merchant’s eyes turned critical as he began appraising the items before him. He held each one, inspecting its quality and craftsmanship, looking over every inch slowly. The process was slow going as the man wanted to make sure he knew the appropriate cost for everything.

Olberic came to stand beside Tressa as well, his hand coming to rest on the girl's shoulder. He could feel her trembling ever so slightly, and he willed some strength into her as he didn’t wish to speak in front of the despicable man in front of them.  Primrose's hand rested on her back, and this time Tressa didn't have the energy to shake them off.  While the touch was supposed to give her strength, it made it that much harder to watch him scrutinize each of her items.

Watching him handle her mother's necklace made her ill. She knew what he'd say - it would be more valuable on a chain. But her father had spent so much on the pendant that he couldn't afford a chain. He'd offered many times over the years to buy her a chain, but she'd refused every time on the grounds of it being a memory of a time when they had little and he'd still gone so far for her.

So she would go that far now.

After a long time had passed the man set down the last item and fixed his critical eye on Tressa.

“You mean this as serious offer?” he asked, for once not sounding as if he was joking.

Tressa nodded. "Yes," she said. "It's everything I have."

The merchant scrutinized her a moment before smiling broadly.

“Very well then.” The merchant said, “I’ll give you the lily in exchange for all of this...and 70,000 leaves.”

Olberic gasped, “What?!”

Even Therion seemed taken aback by the sudden pronouncement.

"What?!" Tressa's voice was far less even, rising in pitch to the point that the people at the next stall were watching with concern. "You - y-you can't..." But she choked on her words and, to her utter horror, her eyes welled with tears - of fear, of hurt, of _anger_.

"Despicable. You're condemning a man to die," Primrose snapped at him, her blood roiling. "She's given you all but the clothes off of her back; haven't you gotten enough here?!"

 _You're condemning a man to die._  Because that was what was going to happen if they didn't get this. Alfyn would -

Tears slipped down her cheeks and Tressa buried her face in her hands in a futile attempt to hide it.

“No, I’m putting a very determined girl to work.” The merchant said with laugh, “You say a man’s life is in danger? Well all the more motivation for you to pay up then yes? I could tell from this girl's eyes that she would do _anything_ to get these lilies and I intend to collect big on them now that I can.”

He came around the counter to gloat over her, fearless of her two companions. Olberic’s glare and the daggers from Primrose’s eyes were ignored entirely.

“You’ll be a good little worker bee for me and gather up all the leaves I ask for won’t you?” He asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. “After all, you need this lily to save this man’s life and I would just _hate_ for you to go back empty handed.”  He idly patted her head. “This man must be quite _special._ ”

"You are among the lowest of the low," Primrose said, her voice dripping with acidity. She could feel Tressa trembling under her hand and fury sparked hotter in her veins.  She’d warned the girl not to make foolish decisions, but she couldn’t blame her when this man was acting so despicably.

Tressa struggled to speak past the lump in her throat. What could she do? She could try what she did before - finding valuables and selling them off - but that would take days; days that they didn't have.

She was completely caught in his web, and her voice cracked when she spoke.

"I...we don't have long," she whimpered. " _He_ doesn't have long. Please. I'll come back, I'll do anything, j-just let us take one back..."

"Well, I'm certainly not going to let you all leave with one of my most valuable possessions!"  The man seemed offended by the prospect.  "As a fellow merchant you really should know better.  Unless, of course, you're offering to  _stay_  and _work_..."

Primrose's eyes flashed and her hackles rose at the thought.  She’d spent a large portion of her life in servitude in pursuit of her goals and she refused to let the girl do the same now.  Sunshade had been Primrose's prison, and she would not let the caravan of Wellspring be Tressa's.  "Tressa, don't," she said firmly. "We'll find a way."

But Tressa knew that it would never be enough. This man would constantly raise the price every time she brought him what he wanted, just to keep her running in circles until he tired of her. But if she could just...get the lily on loan, get her friends to take it back to Zeph, she would work for him. "Just let my friends take one back and I’ll stay here.  I'll be the best merchant you ever wanted," she continued, her voice thick. "Just - please..."

The merchant looked like the cat who got the cream.  He would have been content to just have the money, but to be offered a young woman who he could send out to find his wares...he’d never have to lift a finger to work again, could send her in to the most dangerous areas to harvest what he needed, and would rake in a profit she’d never see.  His lips curled in a smile. He opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

The hand belonged to Therion and its grip was loose and non threatening.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather talk this over with them before we sell you our merchant.” Therion said in his usual bored tone, “Kind of a big deal for us just like you. Give us five and we’ll have it sorted out.”

Olberic’s eyes went from confused to angry as the thief spoke. How dare he speak like that of Tressa as if she were some thing? He thought better of the other man.  The anger was about to emerge when the thief in question caught his eye. Contrary to his lazy tone, his eyes were sharp and meaningful. They darted quickly to Tressa’s belongings before pointing toward the exit of the caravan. The meaning was clear.

“I...suppose that is fair.” The merchant said grudgingly, before quickly adding “But I warn you! Tarry too long, and these lilies will sell out like hot cakes. Then no one gets what they want...”  They weren’t supposed to walk away; that wasn’t how this went. But he knew he had won - he had planted the fear in the girl’s mind and she would do whatever he demanded. He relaxed slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, we got it.” Therion said as Olberic gathered Tressa’s things. The merchant’s eyes were on them suspiciously now. “We’ll be back.”

Without another backwards glance, Therion walked off to another part of the caravan, leading the group away.

Primrose's feelings were mixed - part of her was furious with this despicable man, part of her was worried for Tressa (they had just talked about this!), and part of her was taking in everything Therion said. She had a little more trust in the thief, but with her background it was hard to hear him say "sell you our merchant". She followed the signals flickering between Therion and Olberic and when they started to leave, Primrose placed her hands on Tressa's shoulders and made to follow.

"What are you doing?!" Tressa sounded less angry and more anguished now as she was forced to follow Therion. She tried to pull away but Primrose held her firm.  "We have to do this now before the lilies are all gone! Please, I know what I'm doing!" 

She knew what she'd signed up for. And as long as they could get one of the lilies and leave - without her - she could live with that.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you do and it’s all very sad.” Therion said, only half listening and clearly distracted. Currently he was busy leading them on a winding, twisting path through the caravans. The way they went ensured that no one they passed knew exactly which way they had come or gone while not appearing too suspicious; they blended in as Therion wove them through the throng of people.

“I just thought we should leave before the merchant takes count of his stock once more,” Therion said quietly. “It would be pretty unfortunate for all of us to be thought of as thieves so soon.”

Beneath the mantle that he wore, there was the unmistakable sound of earthenware lightly colliding.

"You didn't," Primrose chuckled as they casually made their way back towards town.

Tressa recognized that sound.  "You did," she whispered, her voice in awe as her heart leaped.

“Robbing a robber does always set a warm feeling in my heart.” Therion said, a small pleased smile on his face.

Olberic chuckled, clearly happy with the turn of events despite himself. “I can imagine. I can only hope our _friend_  has learned a lesson about what happens when you cruelly try to exploit others.”

“I doubt it.” Therion said flatly, “His kind never learn. He’ll just jack up the prices for the next sucker to pay to try and cover the losses. That reminds me though.”

He shifted the two pots beneath his mantle to hold them in one hand again and reached out to flick Tressa’s nose.

Tressa yelped in surprise and rubbed at her nose, her cheeks puffing out. "Hey, what's that for?" she demanded, clearly pouting.

“For tipping your hand so low the enemy could see it from across the room.” Therion said flatly, “That “merchant” could tell almost the minute we came by that you wanted the lily and you only made it more obvious how badly you needed it when you threw in your mother's necklace in. Don’t act like an idiot next time and act like a real merchant; I’ve watched you haggle better than that for months with people more skilled than that fool.”  His words were harsh, but it was clear that his words came from a place of concern. Tressa knew better and he’d seen her handle herself better in the thick of negotiations. He didn’t really care about the particulars of  _ why _ , but he knew that there was clearly  _ something _ throwing her off.  Still, she needed to know that it had almost gotten her in deep trouble because...well, they would be pretty sunk without her, though he sometimes found her too cheerful.  Having got that annoyance off his chest, he continued leading them through the caravan until they made it back out into the desert proper.

Her cheeks puffed more and her eyes darted to the side as she crossed her arms over her chest. Pink bloomed across Tressa's cheeks and she sighed, properly chastised. "I know," she mumbled. "I just..."

The words died on her tongue. No way was she trying to explain to  _ Therion  _ why this was so important. It was bad enough that Primrose knew already.

Speaking of Primrose...heavy hands landed on Tressa’s shoulders, and a calm voice spoke. "You and I are going to have a nice chat when we get back to the inn," Primrose said - it could almost be classified as casual if Tressa couldn't hear the hard edge laced into it.

Olberic chuckled to himself as they started the trek back towards Wellspring. While she might not feel that way at the moment, Tressa was lucky to have comrades such as Therion and Primrose who cared about her wellbeing so much. They were all so young and still growing, and life had taught him that with that growth there was occasionally some pain. If Primrose’s tone was any indication, there yet more to come for Tressa...though it came from a place of caring.  He led the charge into the desert, wanting to return to the inn and rest before getting started again.

They found themselves nearly ready to turn in after the trek through the desert.  Walking on the uneven sand was harder than expected, and Tressa felt her eyes getting heavier as they walked.  For once, she was ready to actually sit down and...maybe sleep. But first she had to get her things in order. Tressa busied herself with setting her bag straight, trying not to think about the day, when she felt Primrose's hand on her shoulder.

"Have a seat," the older woman said, her voice even. Tressa winced and obliged, making her way to the bed and sitting.

"So. About today." Primrose sat beside her and fixed Tressa with a look before plunging right in. "What did I say about acting rashly?"

On the other side of the wall, it was Therion’s turn to perk up at his companion’s voices coming through.  He set down the lily on the desk before turning his attention to the wall where he could hear Primrose’s strong voice.

Olberic noticed the other man’s reaction.  “Thin walls.” He said simply before returning to his work, using the whetstone to hone his blade once more.

Tressa winced, clearly embarrassed. "I know," she protested weakly. "But -"

"But nothing," Primrose cut in firmly.

“...Primrose seems to think Tressa acted rashly tonight.” Therion commented aloud.  It wasn’t like he was invested or anything; he was just...already able to hear, and it would be a waste not to take the information given.  “It would do the girl some good if she listened to her.”

"I just...I had to," Tressa offered lamely. "There wasn't another way I could see."

It wasn't as if Primrose couldn't understand that.  She’d made a similar choice. But she had to make Tressa see she wasn't alone, like Primrose had been once so very long ago.  There were  _ options _ .

"And how do you think that would have played out?" She asked, trying not to sound too harsh. "What would have happened if we had let him accept your offer?"

Therion chuckled quietly to himself. Though the woman would probably not say so openly, it was pretty clear to all the others that Primrose was like the big sister to Tressa’s little sister. This talk smacked of “When you’re older and wiser, you’ll understand.” and seeing others in that position was always amusing to him.

"I...would have stayed and worked for him?" Tressa asked, and she knew by the raise of Primrose's eyebrows that it wasn't an acceptable answer.

"For how long?" the older woman pressed.

"Until I worked off the lily? I don't..." Tressa trailed off as the truth of the matter sunk in. This could very easily have turned into a lifetime commitment unless she was able to run away.

"Tressa." Primrose’s voice was softer now, imploring her to think. "How do you think Alfyn would have felt if we went back without you? If we told him what you'd done for his sake? That you weren't coming back because you'd traded your freedom for his life?"

When she put it like that, it sounded way more serious...Tressa's cheeks turned redder from embarrassment. She hadn't really thought that far ahead; all she’d thought about was how she could get the lily so her friends could take it to Zeph, and she would just stay behind and wonder forever if Alfyn was okay, and…

Oh.  Oh, boy.  She really  _ did _ like Alfyn and it hit her like someone had slapped her in the face.  Tressa wasn’t quite ready to unpack that just yet. "I assumed you'd all come visit," she tried to joke lamely, and yelped when Primrose lightly pinched her cheek.

"You were foolish. And I warned you." Her voice was serious. "So as punishment...I'm going to tell Alfyn exactly what happened once he's recovered." But her lips curled in a knowing little smile and the severe tone was harder to hear now.

Oh gods.   _ No. _  No, that was the  _ worst _ possible outcome of all of this.  "Nooooo!" Tressa practically threw herself at Primrose to cling to the woman. "You can't do that! Pleeease don't tell him!" She was mortified beyond belief already and for him to know what she’d done...he'd figure out what Tressa was slowly realizing for herself.

Primrose pretended to think about it, intending to make the girl sweat, but it was hard to appear serious with Tressa clinging to her waist and wibbling up at her.  "Very well," she agreed magnanimously. "I won't tell him." Tressa relaxed at that until Primrose tapped her nose. "But you have to."

Therion’s smile grew wider and he chuckled. What he would have paid to see Tressa’s face when she heard those words; it must have been priceless. That aside...he was a little surprised Primrose was teasing the girl so much now. Evidently she wanted things between her and Alfyn to move faster than a rock in a race.

Was there really something going on that he hadn’t been paying attention to?  Maybe he would need to start keeping a closer eye on his companions.

Out of the corner of his eye as he put away his blade, Olberic saw Therion’s smile and knew things must have been resolved well between the women. Curious as he was, he would refrain from asking what had occurred; their privacy was earned after the day’s events.

(Besides.  He suspected Primrose would tell him at some point, with how she had come to him before.)

"Now. With that settled...I think we should turn in for the night." Primrose patted Tressa's shoulder and disentangled herself from the younger woman's arms.

"How am I supposed to just - say something??" Tressa cried, shoving her hands through her hair.

"You're a smart girl; you'll figure it out." Primrose's tone indicated she was being warmly encouraged but was getting no help whatsoever.

"But I -!"

"Tressa." Primrose sat on her own bed and pulled back the covers as she provided one piece of advice. "If you want to consider yourself  a serious suitor, you need to be honest with him."

"A s-serious..." Tressa threw herself down on her own bed and groaned. "Fine. I'll think of something." She bitterly thought it might have been easier if she'd actually had to work for the merchant.  At least then Alfyn would never have to know what she’d done. Or she’d never have to face him.

But then she couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Alfyn’s face if the others told him that Tressa wasn’t coming back.  She didn’t know how he felt, but she knew that they were good friends and he might…

...maybe Primrose was right. Tressa huffed softly as she extinguished the light. "Prim...?"

"Yes, Tressa?"  Her voice came from the darkness and it was light, like Primrose knew what was coming.

"...thanks."

Primrose smiled a little in return. She thought the girl understood now. "Anytime, my dear. Now, get some rest."

With his blades finely honed, Olberic was ready for rest.  Therion, with no other conversation coming from the other side of the wall, decided he should probably get some sleep as well.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group prepares to return to the woods where they left their friends and their sick companion...

The next morning Olberic rose early and readied himself for the journey back.  He was mildly surprised that Tressa hadn’t beaten down the door at sunup; he was glad that she seemed able to at least get a little bit of rest.  Therion was already awake - Olberic wasn’t entirely sure he’d actually ever seen the man sleep. (“That’s how you get your things taken,” he’d mumbled once when Olberic had expressed concern over whether or not he actually _did_ sleep.)

By the time the men made their way downstairs, Primrose was waiting alone for them at a table in the front room.  “Good morning,” she said warmly. “Tressa was still sleeping last I checked. I debated about waking her, but decided she could sleep a little longer.  While it’s important we set off soon, I can’t remember the last time I saw her sleep.”

“I have no objection,” Olberic said as he joined Primrose at the table.  “The girl has been running herself ragged.”

Therion sunk into the next chair over and made a noise as he glanced down to ensure the lilies were still tucked safely away in his things.  “If it keeps her from being extra perky and rushing me for a while longer, she can sleep the whole way back.”

“Fantastic.  Then you’ll be the one that carries her home,” Primrose said cheerfully as she busied herself with a pastry from the basket on the table.  “Since you’re so concerned.”  
  
Therion said nothing but swiped a croissant for himself, and Olberic’s lips quirked.  It was a skill to know when one was beaten, and Therion seemed to know that well.

They talked and ate for a bit longer, waiting to see if Tressa would wake on her own.  It seemed that they’d underestimated how tired she was, however, and once they had finished eating, Primrose decided it would be best to wake her.  She tidied the crumbs from her spot before standing.  
  
“I’ll go get her,” she said.  “Just be ready; she’ll likely be eager to go as soon as she wakes.”  
  
She made her way upstairs and entered their shared room.  A soft smile crossed her lips as she watched Tressa sleep, curled around her pillow and hair mussed slightly.  It was clear that despite her worry, she was actually able to sleep a little heavier last night. Primrose figured that it was the heat of the sands; it had always made her a touch sleepy when she first made her way to the Sunlands.

Well...enough reminiscing.  It was time to wake her. "Tressa." Primrose gently shook her shoulder. "Come now. It's time to go."

Despite how heavily she'd been sleeping, Tressa jerked awake with a startled gasp, quickly swiping at the drool she felt at the corner of her mouth before Primrose could see it.  What time was it?! "Ohmygods," she breathed. "How late am I?"

Primrose chuckled and tried to settle her. "You're not late. It will be a trying journey back, and you needed the sleep. We're just eating breakfast downstairs."

Despite her calming words, she watched the girl leap from her bed and putter around before tossing on her bag and sprinting downstairs.  With a smile Primrose shouldered her own bag and made to meet with the others, making a mental note to grab a pastry for Tressa so she would eat something on the way.

"I'm sorry!" Tressa blurted when she ran into the men downstairs. "I didn't mean to sleep so long; I'm ready to go!"

Olberic merely smiled down on her as he stood from the table.  “Do not be sorry; we did not think you were tarrying needlessly. It’s been clear throughout these travels how _important_ our task is to you.”

Apparently it was now his turn to tease the young woman, though he was by far the easiest on her. He had long since passed the age where that form of amusement was required of him; now it was merely a passing fancy he indulged in on occasion.  And with the lilies in hand, he felt at ease enough to indulge as they prepared to embark on their journey back.

Tressa's face bloomed with another wave of embarrassment at his words. Did everyone know? Or was she just that obvious? With a helpless noise she turned to Primrose who simply lifted her shoulder in a casual little shrug.

"With that in mind, perhaps we should get started," Primrose grinned. Oh, they had days of travel ahead of them to pick on poor Tressa. No need to send her bursting into flames already.

Therion just smirked and removed Tressa’s hat long enough to ruffle her hair before picking up his own things to begin the journey back.  The girl squawked indignantly and struggled to grab her hat back, but all she could do was puff her cheeks out until Therion put it back on her head.

“Alright, alright, let’s just go,” Tressa mumbled.  She sighed, knowing that she was about to endure days of this teasing and those knowing looks.

***

It took another four days of travel before they found themselves in the woods from which they started, though the journey felt far less perilous despite the darkening skies. Knowing that Zeph was caring for Alfyn and that they carried the cure to his sickness was a large weight off their shoulders as they picked their way through the thick foliage.

“We should be close to where the others are,” said Therion as they trudged along through the maze-like forest. ”I recognized that tree up ahead surprisingly; it’s the one with the knot that looks like an owl. Though I guess since this is the fourth time in two weeks I’ve seen it, it shouldn’t be a surprise.”

Tressa carried one of the potted plants in her arms gingerly, afraid of dropping it but feeling that she had to carry it to safety. "Maybe you just like trees.  Or owls," she said. It felt a little awkward and stilted even as she said it, and it was clear she was trying to distract herself. "But I think it means we're almost there!"

Her heart pounded the closer they got. She had no idea how everyone would be doing without them...they'd been away over a week by this point, and it had been about two weeks since they'd set out to find Zeph. Overall she much preferred to travel together.  There was strength in numbers and being split always made her uncomfortable.

As they walked further into the woods, Primrose sensed eyes on them and smiled up into the thick branches. “Hello, Linde,” she called softly. “I see you up there.”  Clearly the leopard was on guard duty, watching from above to pounce on anyone she didn’t recognize. The leopard peered down from the branch she perched on, blinking slowly and affectionately at Primrose before leaping down to the ground. H'aanit wasn't far behind, jumping down from another nearby tree and breaking into a grin when she saw them all.

"They returnen!" She shouted back to the camp.

Zeph perked up at the call, smiling happily. He had just been tending Alfyn, ensuring that he was resting properly, when the others had arrived.

“Looks like your friends came through for you brother.” He said to the sleeping form of Alfyn beside him. Carefully, Zeph pushed himself up to go meet the others.

“We have the lilies.” Olberic announced happily to the group at large as they pushed back into camp, leaves crunching beneath them. “Where is Zeph?”

“I’m here, Sir Olberic.” Zeph called, rushing over from his spot by the underbrush. He saw the potted plant Tressa had and gingerly took it from her. “Thank you for retrieving these. I’ll get right to work on making the tincture.“

Tressa carefully handed over the plant, finally breathing a sigh of relief when it was in Zeph's hands - both literally and figuratively.  "How has he been?" she asked, glancing slightly past him to see Alfyn still sleeping quietly. "Has he woken up at all?"

“More like has he slept,” Zeph said with a laugh as he moved to sit with his bag once more. “Once I was able to suppress the symptoms a bit with some medicine, he recovered quite a bit. He wanted to go after you all right away so he wasn’t ‘a burden’.”  The way he said this indicated that none of them had actually agreed and had probably spent a good amount of time arguing with Alfyn over it. “But I was only able to treat the symptoms, not the cause; he still wasn’t in a state to be going anywhere. After some convincing on all our parts, he decided resting was for the best but he’s been talking with anyone who’s not busy out of boredom.” Zeph shook his head.  “They say apothecaries make the worst patients and now I’m inclined to agree.”

Tressa’s shoulders slumped with quiet relief.  "I'm so glad," she said with a smile. "That he's going to be okay..."

"Yes." H'aanit smiled as she patted Tressa on the back. "And once Alfyn hath recovered, next Zeph will worken on a cure for thy First Blush."

Primrose almost let out an undignified snort, but managed to smother it in her hand. Poor Tressa had borne the brunt of some very backhanded comments the whole way back, but she'd weathered them like a champ with her head held high. It was just unfortunate that apparently everyone here had the same idea.

"Oh come on," Tressa mumbled, her cheeks tinting pink.

“First Blush?” Cyrus asked curiously, “I was not aware you suffered from some malady as well Tressa. I would have recommended you stay and rest with Alfyn if I had known; we prepared a makeshift bed you could have shared to rest. Pray tell, what are the symptoms?”

It was Olberic’s turn to laugh discreetly, knowing just what the Professor’s words would turn to in the poor girl's imagination. It had surprised him to meet a man so unaware when it came to love - Primrose had certainly teased him enough about it - yet always seeming to find just the right thing to say to get someone flustered and embarrassed. Perhaps Cyrus’ only love would be that of his craft; it would take an exceptionally special person to catch his eye.

"Noooo, I'm fine!" Tressa whined, cheeks flaming red. "Man! You guys all _suck_ sometimes!"

"Cut her a break," Primrose said with a little smile. "Tressa, come sit. It's been a long journey back."  While she had enjoyed teasing Tressa as well, she knew when enough was enough and called it. The girl seemed to relax a little more at that and sat next to Primrose.

To Primrose’s utter delight, Tressa’s eyes seemed heavier and she curled slightly into the older woman’s side.  She blinked slowly and rested her head on Primrose’s shoulder, not even seeming to realize that she was doing it.  Clearly she was more tired than she’d anticipated and she was fading fast.  
  
It wasn’t long before she dozed off against Primrose, and the older woman smiled as she gazed down protectively.  It seemed that with things in Zeph’s hands, Tressa was finally relaxed enough to step back and to let her exhaustion take her.

Zeph worked tirelessly on the concoction, being extremely careful with the Hoarfrost Lilies as there was not much margin for error.  He only took what he needed in case a step didn’t go correctly; it would be better to lose one leaf rather than losing the entire plant.  Once the mixture was made, there would be more than enough for Alfyn to get well, but he had to _make it_ correctly first.

Occasionally the others were called in for an extra set of hands to make the work go faster or to administer the other medicines to Alfyn needed to help stabilize him.  Zeph was more than a little surprised by how easily Olberic stepped in to help and noticed how his eyes fixed on the work that was done. Maybe he was showing interest in learning a bit himself, and Zeph only regretted that now wasn’t the time to teach him anything.  Ophilia stayed close by as well, continuing to heal Alfyn as needed. She’d had to do less of it over the last few days, but she still needed to at times and she wouldn’t relax until he no longer needed her help at all.

While they worked, Primrose quietly related the tale of what had happened in their absence.  She hit the highlights of the journey - Olberic’s daring challenge and Therion’s quick fingers - while leaving out the parts that would embarrass the others - her own failed dance and Tressa’s determination to do whatever it took.  But she didn’t want to minimize the girl’s part, sighing out quietly as she watched Alfyn turn over in his sleep. “He’ll have to ask her if he wants to know the details,” was all she said as their friend stirred slightly. “It’s not my part of the story to tell.”

Olberic nodded in agreement while carefully propping Alfyn up so that Zeph could help him drink one of the tinctures he’d made; this one was supposed to help suppress his cough so he didn’t hack up everything they’d given him thus far.  “‘Tis not something that should be brought up unless she does first,” he said quietly. The others nodded in agreement - they could tell that something serious had happened but were trying not to pry.

Cyrus had his guesses, however.  He noticed that Tressa had come back without her necklace around her neck - a quick glance showed the string dangling from her pocket, so it was still in her possession - and he knew that she would never take it off willingly.  She’d explained once why it was so special when he’d been caught staring at it in an attempt to learn more about his traveling companion, and he knew it would not easily leave her hands. Combined with the story as it was, and he wondered.

Tressa continued to doze, having been tucked against Linde at some point and completely unaware of the others telling the story.  The leopard curled her tail around the girl, who stopped tossing in fitful rest at the gentle brush of fur against her cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tressa wraps her head around her own feelings just in time for her to have to verbalize the truth of what happened.

It was hours later when Zeph finally sat back and drew a hand across his forehead.  “Alright,” he said aloud to the few that were still awake. “That about does it. He should wake up by the morning.”  He’d worked through most of the night, politely waving away any offers of something to eat and refusing to cease his work even as the sun disappeared below the horizon.  Ophilia, one of the last awake, stifled a yawn and instead handed him the meal that they had made earlier and kept warm by the fire for him, insisting that Zeph eat something now that he had finished his work.  He’d gratefully accepted and agreed, polishing it off as quickly as he could without seeming boorish. He realized then that he actually hadn’t eaten in the last...how many hours? A sheepish smile crossed his face as it dawned on him that he was not always the best at taking care of himself.  It was going to be difficult to lecture Alfyn about taking care of himself when he was just as bad...  
  
“Is someone taking watch?” he asked, looking around.  “I wouldn’t mind - ”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Primrose said, leaning back against the log she sat on.  “You have been working tirelessly for days and nights to heal our apothecary. You aren’t going to be on watch tonight.”

Tressa was just coming back to awareness after her extended nap and heard the tail end of the conversation, stretching and yawning before patting Linde’s head as thanks for letting her rest; the leopard rumbled softly before lumbering to H’aanit’s side and nestling close to her master.  “I’ll do it,” she blurted, swiping her hand across her eyes to rub out the crud. “I’m awake. Zeph, Prim, you both need sleep.”

Primrose gave Tressa a look as if she wanted to argue, but the fiery glow to the other woman’s eyes told her that it wasn’t going to be worth her time.  She sighed a little. “Very well,” she said instead. “If you’re certain.” She half-expected that Tressa would be asleep before the end of her watch and was thankful that the area had been mostly cleared out by H’aanit.

Tressa nodded determinedly.  She ultimately hadn’t been able to help in their journey, her bargaining skills having failed her, and she wanted to do _something_ useful to assist.  Keeping watch would give her that much.  
  
Zeph knew better than to argue.  He didn’t know Tressa as well as he knew the others - she’d been away from camp for so long that he hadn’t gotten to know her like had Cyrus, Ophilia, and H’aanit - but he knew that there was a reason that she was so determined to help.  He had his suspicions, but hadn’t really had a moment to try and confirm them.

Well, he’d be around for the next few days; he suspected he’d see something if there was something to see.  Zeph checked on Alfyn one last time before he prepared to turn in for the evening, pleased with the progress he was seeing; there was already color back to Alfyn’s cheeks.  He felt confident enough to at least try to get some rest.

Primrose gave Tressa a look before turning in as well.  She was quite tired after their long days of travel and was truthfully a little grateful that someone else was taking watch - even if that _someone_ else really needed the sleep as well.  She really was going to have to have another talk with Tressa, wasn’t she.  But that could come in the morning. Nearly as soon as her head met the bedroll, she was asleep.

Tressa sighed softly as she moved across the camp and settled herself onto a comfortable patch of grass near the outskirts.  The crackle and pop of the fire soothed her and for the first time in days she felt peace in her heart. They’d succeeded; they’d done what they could.  Zeph had healed Alfyn, and they’d just need to wait for him to wake up.

She gave Professor Albright a nod as he passed her to get some rest as well. He'd just done a final loop and everything seemed fine.  Based on what Tressa had heard, there wasn’t much of a need for watch, but this was as good a time as any to sit, clear her head, and try to get her thoughts straight about the last few days.

Tressa fiddled with the twine of her necklace, tying the ends back together so she could wear it again and reinforcing the ends so it couldn't be broken so easily.  A little twinge tugged at her heart she felt guilty at how easily she had torn it off. But deep down she knew her mother would have been more disappointed in her for not helping a friend in need than she would be in the necklace’s loss.  It lightened her heart a little and she felt better as soon as it was back around her neck.

Alone in the silence of camp with nothing but her thoughts, Tressa looped her arms around her thighs and rested her chin on her knees.  Now she was forced to face everything that had happened over the last few days...and moreso, her reactions and how it had made her feel.

She’d gone into a near-panic when Alfyn had become sick.  She’d helped lead the charge to find Zeph, and then had trekked to the deserts to find the Hoarfrost lily.  

And she’d made her most desperate bargain ever, to no avail. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of how desperately she'd begged the greasy merchant to let her friends take the lily and that she would stay in return.

It was at that moment she'd realized that she wouldn't have reacted like this to any of her other companions being ill. She cared for them, of course, but it wouldn't have been the same if it had been Professor Albright or Ophilia who was sick. She liked them all a lot, but it was different...

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair and under her hat. Boy. She really liked Alfyn and she didn't know what to do about it. Primrose’s words stayed in her mind, bouncing around that she needed to tell Alfyn and be honest.

But what if he didn't feel the same?

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice she was no longer the only one awake.

Across camp, Alfyn slowly awakened, feeling better than he had in days. He smiled and sat up, the heavy feeling in his chest gone finally. He'd tried to convince the others that he was alright to go after their friends, to try and help, but compared to how he felt now he wouldn't have gotten very far.

He hated admitting it, but staying put and getting better had been the best call.

“Looks like Zeph really knows his stuff.” He said quietly to himself. A quick look around camp showed him it was late and that most everyone was asleep. He was pleased to see Olberic, Primrose, and Therion sleeping; they'd been away for so long that they needed it. Everyone was asleep except...

Alfyn stood carefully and made his way over to the single watcher that night. He moved quietly so as not to wake the others but not to try and sneak up on her.

“Hey.” He called out to her softly. “Mind if I join you for the watch?”

Tressa was so lost in her thoughts that a sudden voice startled her into awareness. She almost shrieked but managed to muffle herself with her hand as she whirled around. Everyone was sleeping and she hasn't expected to hear -

_Alfyn._

“Alfyn!” Her voice raised in excitement before she remembered that everyone was _sleeping_ and Tressa modulated her tone. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?! Zeph said you would wake up tomorrow; are you sure you should be up already?"

She couldn't stop all the frantic whispered words spilling out, nor the blush that began to bloom on her cheeks. He was okay, and he was _smiling_ at her. A warm pit bloomed in her stomach and it sort of felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, ready to either fly or fall and she wasn't sure which it was going to be in the moment.

He couldn't help but laugh at her exuberance. Tressa always seemed to operate at three hundred percent once she got started. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Alfyn said brightly, waving his hand across his face. “Zeph’s medicine really did the trick! I feel like I could arm wrestle Olberic right now and even win.” Well...alright, that might have been a little bit of exaggeration but he at least felt well enough to start the contest if not win it.

Feeling a little more relaxed at that, Tressa laughed. "I'm not so sure about that," she said. "Sir Olberic challenged a merchant while we were away and he didn't even break a sweat despite the guy being as big as a house!" Her hands gesticulated wildly as if to demonstrate just how big that really was.

Alfyn chuckled at her demonstration. “A house, huh? Anyway, I was laying down so long I felt like my legs were gonna forget what it was like to walk if I didn’t get up and move a bit. And then I saw you were up keeping watch so I figured I’d join you.” As he spoke he crouched, enjoying the use of his muscles and wanting to put them both at the same height.

When he crouched to be nearer to her height she smiled at him. It was honestly such a relief to see him up and moving again, and it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. “Definitely a house,” she confirmed. “And Sir Olberic took him down like it was nothing. He might squish you.”

“Haha, yeah...maybe I should work my way up to him.” Alfyn said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Cyrus might be a good one to start with; that book holding arm might be stronger than it looks!”

Tressa giggled at that. "I don't know how Professor Albright carries so many books," she said. "I mean, _my_ backpack is huge but I couldn't even lift his satchel! It was crazy!" She'd nearly strained her back trying once and Alfyn had had to rub that tingly stuff on her shoulder to help it feel better.

The way Tressa smiled up at him so happily just warmed his heart. She was almost always so bright like that no matter what and it was something he liked about her a lot. He’d had a lot of time to just sit and think while he was sick and it wasn’t uncommon for his thoughts to turn to her. He'd been semi-conscious earlier while the others had talked and he knew that something had happened while they were away - and he knew that Tressa had somehow been involved. What he didn't know was how.

“...So I heard a bit about all the trouble I caused you guys these past weeks.” Alfyn said quietly.

Alfyn always tried to take care of them - of all of them - and always knew what would help. She'd always liked how smart and cheerful he was, keeping their spirits up even when things seemed low.  But now his voice was quiet and contemplative. It unnerved Tressa slightly and she tried to counter lightly. "What? Trouble? You goof." She playfully tapped his arm. "You didn't cause trouble. You were sick!"  She kept her voice even, not wanting him to know just how worried she'd been.

“Well, yeah, I was sick,” Alfyn conceded, “but I heard you and the others have been traveling almost nonstop ‘cause of me. Makes a guy feel bad when his friends have to do so much for just for him when he’s just sitting around.”

“We just wanted to see you get better," Tressa protested. "I - we were all pretty worried." Yes, it was safer to say it when it was all of them. "And you weren't just sitting around; you were getting better."

He sighed and ran a quiet hand through his hair, and she could tell he wasn't entirely convinced. But he let it drop for now.

“Anyway, I’m just glad you’re safe and back here,” Alfyn said to her with a little smile. “Missed talking with you the most while you were gone. Everyone here was just a bit too gloomy, ya know?” He knew they’d been worried about him being ill despite him trying to pretend that he was fine; he’d really been unwell enough that he could only keep it up for so long.  “Could have used a bright spot like you to cheer them up.”

And then he said those nice things and Tressa’s face turned pink again. "I missed talking with you, too." A little smile crossed her face and she looked at him, drawn in by his bright smile.  She always enjoyed spending time with Alfyn; they had similar outlooks and had a lot in common. He always made her laugh, and that left her always feeling warm.

 _Shucks, is she cute when she smiles like that._ The sudden thought that crossed Alfyn's mind made him smile as well, particularly knowing that it was because of something that he said to her.

...then Primrose's words came to the forefront of Tressa’s mind, jolting her from her moment of happiness. " _If you want to consider yourself a serious suitor, you need to be honest with him._ "

She took a deep breath. But with him staring at her so earnestly and warm, Tressa knew she had to change tactic.  Her cheeks bloomed with heat as she shifted and turned away from him. "I have to tell you something," she said, forcing her voice to remain even and steady, "but I can't look at you when I do, because I'm too embarrassed."  Her hands clenched lightly in the hem of her dress and she took a deep breath.

Alfyn’s thought was derailed somewhat when she spoke next and turned. Suddenly he was all business, trying to access the problem and ease her burden.

“Is it about how you’re feeling?” Alfyn asked, concern clear in his voice. “It’s okay to get embarrassed when talking to me about that stuff; happens all the time with apothecaries. Why, just before I got sick, Olberic came to me with persistent stomachache he wasn’t keen on revealing to me. Turned out be something a little more serious but he was still pretty embarrassed.”

She vaguely remembered the incident but her focus was entirely on what he’d said.  "...yeah, it has something to do with how I'm feeling." Even if she was sure that wasn't quite what he meant, she appreciated the way he cut to the heart of the matter. The reminder of her companion being ill gave her a little bit of courage, and she fiddled with her hem.

"Okay, I’ll start," she said quietly. "So...Zeph told us we needed Hoarfrost Lilies and that they were out of season. So Therion told us about the black market in Wellspring and that there would probably be one there. And there was! But the guy was trying to sell it to us for 50,000 leaves."

“50,000!” Alfyn exclaimed, before clamping a hand over his mouth. He looked around quickly to make sure he hadn’t disturbed the others from resting.

“50,000.” He repeated it incredulously, as if saying it again would make it clearer to him.  It, in fact, didn't. “They don’t sell for even a fraction of that normally. What a swindler...” He was instantly reminded of Vanessa and how she’d put people's lives at risk for profit.

"I know!" Tressa blurted, ire stoked at the reminder and briefly slipping back into merchant mode. "I told him that and he said because it was out of season that it was more expensive! And it's not like I don't know that but I - I wasn't thinking straight." Her voice dropped off and she sighed.

She breathed out slowly. "Nothing worked. I tried to bargain with him, but we couldn't come anywhere near that close no matter what I said. Primrose danced for him, but he didn't want to trade an experience for a material thing. And Sir Olberic challenged him to try and force him to lower his prices to fair...but of course he thought 50,000 was fair already." It tasted bitter in her mouth. "So I...tried to sell my stuff to make up the difference."  Her hand went to her mother's necklace once more.

Maybe if she just said it very matter of factly, it wouldn't sound as bad.  Her stomach was twisted. She didn't want to sound like a martyr, or like she was bragging, but she was trying to be honest about what had happened. After what Primrose had said, he deserved to know.

“So...you had to sell all your things to get it?” Alfyn asked quietly.  What kind of apothecary puts his friends through a sickscare like that?

He felt guilt begin to eat at the bottom of his stomach when her fingers played with the necklace.  He knew it had been her mother's...

Gods, no.  She hadn't - had she?

"I tried to," Tressa said, just as quietly, pulling Alfyn's attention back to the present. "But he looked over everything I had..." She paused to swallow.  "And he said he'd take the deal once we threw in 70,000 leaves. He knew how important it was and he still..."

She still remembered how Primrose had spat venom at him, telling him that he was condemning a man to die and her shoulders hunched. "He used that to try and get more out of us," she whispered.

This...was the hard part coming up. This was the make-or-break moment.

"I knew even if we found the 70,000 somehow, he'd just keep raising the price. So...I told him if he let the others take one I'd stay and work for him."

She hugged her knees tightly to her chest.  No, it hadn't been easier to say when she wasn't looking at him, because now she could only imagine what sort of expressions he was making.  Her heart slammed so hard that she felt nauseous and the truth hung in the air like the smell of fish going bad at the seaport market.  Now it was in Alfyn's court - what would he say?

After a long moment, he spoke again.  “...you were gonna do that for me?” Alfyn asked quietly, shocked that the others hadn’t brought it up.  He vaguely remembered hearing that Therion had stolen the plants in the end, but the way Tressa narrated, she hadn’t realized he was going to do it.  
  
As Alfyn crouched there in the dirt and stared at her back, it became clear to him why she didn’t want to meet his eyes. She’d essentially offered her freedom for his own life. His throat tightened with emotion at the thought.

Tressa nodded, and oh gods, her eyes were watering. She swiped a hand across her eyes.

"P-Primrose already tore into me about it," Tressa laughed quietly. "Said I was being foolish.  But I didn’t care. All I could think about was somehow getting the lilies so we could come back and help you.  ...Therion stole the flowers while the merchant was distracted with talking to me. Managed to get us away by telling the guy that we had to talk before they could s-sell their merchant." Despite herself she stumbled slightly over it. Tressa knew now it could have been a very poor prospect for her and she was a little embarrassed and ill at the thought. "So we got away and then he told us he'd stolen the lilies. I'm all about an honest sale...but I couldn't be mad this time."

She swallowed and tucked her face further into her knees. "I didn't want to tell you because I was embarrased...b-but Prim said I should. That you deserved to know."  Her voice trembled slightly and she still couldn’t look him in the face.

There was a long pause wherein Tressa could hear Alfyn's breath catch.  “Shucks...”

The emotions that had tightened Alfyn’s throat burst forth at just how hesitant she sounded and he acted on them without thought of what might be proper or not. Alfyn sat down behind her, his legs on either side of her, and he hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“You know, it always seems like some great person is saving me when I need it most,” he said quietly. “First it was the nameless apothecary...and now it’s you, Tressa. I don’t know how to put it into words how thankful I am to you for being willin’ to go that far for me. I noticed how special you were a while ago...but now I feel like I’m seeing it again for the first time.”  The words spilled out of him, bolstered by her story, and he had no prayer of stopping them now.

When his arms wrapped around her, Tressa's heart slammed against her chest so hard that she was sure Alfyn would feel it even through her back. Her breath hitched and she couldn't help but lean slightly back into him as he spoke.

"I didn't even really end up doing anything; Therion did."  And then what he said hit her.  "Y-you...think I'm special?" That surprised her more than anything and she was more than a little happy with it.

What he’d said and done caught up to him then, when she leaned back and spoke, and Alfyn couldn’t help but blush. Here he was holding some girl he wasn’t involved with and letting his heart do all the talking without even seeing if she was interested in him like that! It wasn’t like the others hadn’t been there to help too, and he was thankful, but...he didn’t feel the same way about the others as he did Tressa.

Okay.  He could salvage this.  “I, uh, just think you’re a pretty nice woman is all,” he rambled, realizing too late that he just called her pretty on top of everything else. His cheeks flamed redder.  “I mean, just a nice woman! N-not that I don’t think you’re pretty, too, just...aw, shucks.”

He couldn’t help the bewildered little laugh that escaped him. This was not at all how he expected to eventually tell her what was on his mind.

Hearing his words spill out gave Tressa courage and she took a deep breath. She wanted to reach for his hand but her arms were trapped at her sides in the hug. Tressa giggled quietly at Alfyn’s fumbling, reading between the lines and parsing out what he was trying to say. She didn't really mind that, though, and she decided to just speak.

"W-well...I wouldn't have done it for just anyone," she told him quietly. "You're special too, Alfyn. And I couldn't stand thinking of anything happening to you."

Well hearing her say that clinched it for him. Going for broke now and putting all his cards on the table, he leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. When he pulled away, he noticed for the first time that she was blushing pretty heavily too. That somehow made it a bit easier to get his next words out.

“Thanks for telling me.” He said softly, “I, um, like you a lot so it’s good to hear that from you.”

Tressa let out a little squeak when she felt his lips on her cheek, but she couldn't help the way her own lips curled in a smile.

"I like you a lot too," she whispered back. She felt comfortable like this, with him holding her, and she leaned back against him.

Alfyn just grinned at her words, feeling happy and relieved that they were on the same page. He settled into a bit more comfortably against her, loosening his arms so she could have hers back if she wanted.

Then she smiled a little more, her grin turning slightly devious. "So...I'm pretty, huh?" she teased with a grin as she tilted her head to look up at him.

“Well yeah, haha.” He admitted a little sheepishly, “You’re pretty cute...you’ve always got this big smile on your face and then when you get into with haggling or picking out a buy, you get this glint in your eye that’s just...I can’t help watching you is all.”

Tressa smiled shyly as she freed her arms enough to reach down and lace her fingers with his. A little spark jumped between them when she did and she took a moment to enjoy it when they touched.

"W-well, I think you're pretty cute too," she said. "You're always so cheerful and upbeat, and the way you laugh, it's hard not to get hooked."

Admittedly right now Tressa felt like the dog that had finally caught its tail. What now? Her heart still thumped heavily, and her cheeks were still red, and she didn't know what was next.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she finally asked. She wasn't angry, just curious. "Why now?"

“Why now?” Alfyn repeated, “I guess...what you did meant a lot and I couldn’t not say anything, y’know? Like I had too many feelings just to keep inside when it was just me and you.  But earlier I guess I wasn’t sure if you were interested,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “I mean you’re so friendly with everyone, I didn’t want to see things that weren’t there. Then there was that Ali guy you went off to rescue...”

He trailed off there, too embarrassed to say that he thought she was interested in _him_ instead.

"W-what?" Now it was her turn to be surprised. "You - you thought I was interested in my archrival? No way!" She dismissively waved her hand. "I know my parents are both merchants, but I couldn’t do it.  I'd never be with another merchant. I helped Ali because he seemed like a decent guy in a bad spot...even if he did steal all my business." Even her puffy-cheeked pout was adorable and Alfyn chuckled.

Tressa turned in Alfyn’s arms, looked up into his eyes, and almost lost her nerve with how soft his looked. But Tressa took a breath, screwed her courage to the sticking place, braced her hands on his hips, and leaned up to press a soft kiss to his lips. She felt his breath hitch in return and she kept it up for the briefest second before she leaned back.

"I'm certainly not gonna do that with my archrival," she grinned. "That's just for you."

Alfyn grinned back at her after the kiss, enjoying the tingle on his lips. It was very tempting to try and explore that some more but he was having a good time talking and laughing with her.

“Guess that means I’m getting only special sales from you now huh?” he teased.  “You’ll have to show me what wares that kinda status gets me.”

Only a beat after he finished speaking did he realize how badly his words could be taken. He practically froze, waiting for a response that didn’t involve getting slapped.

Tressa giggled and winked at Alfyn. "Oh, you never know," she said easily. "You might get all sorts of perks like that. I'm sure there's something special I can -"

She trailed off and her face went bright red as her brain came to a screeching halt. Tressa squeaked and her grip slipped slightly, pitching her slightly forward into his lap. "W-wait, that isn't what -"

Across the camp, Primrose sneezed and Tressa froze.

Alfyn had blushed just as red when she winked at him, his brain taking a mental snapshot of her cute face for later, but he couldn’t help but laugh when she started sputtering as well.  Clearly she hadn’t thought about the implication of her own words either and was just as embarrassed.

“Shucks, I guess this means we’re a pretty fit match.” He laughed.  “Both fools and tongue tied to boot, haha.”

He gave her another hug, ending up cheek to cheek with her as he smiled once more.

Tressa giggled and nodded, wrapping her arms around him in return as he hugged her again. She loved the way his cheek felt against hers, and Tressa smiled as she felt the light scratch of faint stubble against her cheek. "Sounds like we are," she agreed, pulling back to briefly touch her forehead to his.

An owl hooted somewhere in the forest and Tressa jumped slightly, landing herself a little further in his lap. "Sorry! Scared me. I forgot I was supposed to be the watch."

“That’s alright.” Alfyn said breezily, “I did come over here to help keep watch too. Great company was just a bonus.”

He shifted a bit so that Tressa sat in his lap properly. It was a new experience for him and he rather liked it; he hoped she did too.

"H'aanit said it was quiet enough you guys barely needed watch, especially after she knocked around the first few monsters. So that's good they didn't bother you much."  Tressa sat back gingerly, less because she was awkward and more because she was afraid of hurting him somehow. But it was nice to be this close, and Tressa settled in once she found a comfortable way for them both.

The pop of the fire and the gentle breeze made her blink heavily, and she suddenly realized how little sleep she'd had in the last few weeks between their constant journeying and her worry keeping her awake. She might ask in the morning if they could go for a town to just...stay...

Tressa stifled a yawn in her hand.

Alfyn noticed the yawn and the way her eyes were starting to dull with sleep just a bit. It seemed like the girl just couldn’t do something without it looking so damn cute. Still, he knew she’d been going almost nonstop for weeks now because of him. If she wanted to sleep like this then...

“I ever tell you the time me and Zeph had to treat our whole town for whooping cough?” Alfyn said softly.  “Think it was the most work we ever did at once. Seemed like just when one person was getting better, two others would catch it. Then people that were already better would catch it from people who were getting better.  We were running back and forth through the village like a farmer trying to catch moles in his field; it was a mess. So we go get a handle on the situation, and then we...”

Alfyn continued the tale quietly, just looking to fill the silence of the night while they kept watch and share a little of himself with her. And if it happened to help her fall asleep in his arms like that, so much the better.

Tressa smiled as she listened to Alfyn's voice low against her ear. She could honestly listen to him talk for hours about anything. And she wanted to. But tonight she was just...too tired...

It didn't take long for her eyes to drop closed and her breathing to even out in sleep.

Alfyn kept talking for a while longer until he was sure she’d truly fallen asleep; she’d gone heavier in his arms a while ago but he wanted her to be fully asleep. Once he was sure, he carefully scooped her up in his arms and moved towards her sleeping mat. He chuckled a bit when Tressa tried to shift closer to his chest as he walked.

“Easy there,” He whispered, “I don’t wanna drop you now.”

She mumbled something in reply but otherwise heeded his warning. It was a short a walk to the mat and he carefully laid her down and tucked her in, making sure to take her hat off before her head met the roll so she didn’t crush it. Alfyn gave her a quick kiss on the lips, biting back a chuckle as she tried to shift closer to reciprocate, and he smiled down at her a moment before going back to keep watch.

There was a pretty content smile on his face he was unaware of for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading so far - just a little epilogue to wrap things up. <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

It was the sun moving across the sky, moving perfectly over her sleeping mat that woke Tressa the next morning. Her nose scrunched and she mumbled sleepily before stirring back into wakefulness.

Then she remembered everything about last night. Or...had it happened? Was it exhaustion-induced delirium? She'd been with Alfyn when she'd fallen asleep and was alone now...maybe it hadn't happened. She didn't remember going to bed again; she must have dreamed it. 

Trying not to be too disappointed she rolled back over, gathering herself to get up for the day.

Alfyn had just finished packing up his own stuff when he saw that Tressa was up and doing the same. Grinning brightly he crossed over the camp to come squat down beside her.

“Morning!” he said before giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “You were sleeping so soundly I thought we were gonna have to carry you back to Zeph’s house, haha. Good to see you’re up.”

From his side of the camp, Therion smirked at the way Tressa’s cheeks flamed up. Apparently those two had worked something out while he’d be sleeping; he doubt he’d ever seen a more lovesick pair of fools.

Well. Chalk it up to actually having happened. "M-morning!" Tressa said, recovering quickly. "Sorry, hope I didn't sleep too long..."

Before he could get away she quickly returned the peck and returned to getting her things to try and hide her blush. A goofy smile crossed her face.

Well, until she saw Therion smirking at her. Tressa half-heartedly stuck out her tongue.   Therion merely chuckled and shook his head, pleased he’d won this little round.

At the sound of them talking, Primrose swished her way over, leaning on the tree nearest Tressa's little area of the camp. "Hello," she said to them both with a wicked smile.

“Morning Primrose,” said Alfyn brightly, standing back up to face her, “Hope it’s not too weird seeing me up and about like this; I know I’ve been kind of a bed person the last few weeks, haha.”

Olberic came over to stand behind the two with his arms crossed. He gave Primrose a look that he hoped conveyed that she should refrain from teasing the two overly much; they’d all had their turn with Tressa but now it was time to let them be.

Primrose gave them both a little smile even before Olberic came over to guard them. It was precious and more than a little paternal, something that amused her to no end. Still, she wasn't going to tease them or push for information now; she was simply happy to see Alfyn well - not to mention Tressa looking so happy.

Of course, she'd overheard everything last night. But she'd never tell. A girl had to have her secrets after all.

(But gods, had it been hard not to burst out laughing when the two of them had been innuendoing each other without even realizing it. She'd have patted Tressa on the back if she thought it was intentional. As it was she'd barely managed to stifle her laugh with a fake sneeze.)

"I don't believe I've ever seen you sit still for so long," was all she said instead. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

She'd press Tressa for her side of it later, but for now the girl looked almost giddy.

"Good morne," H'aanit called from across the camp as she returned from her quick patrol. "It appears that we should ben off then, with everyone awake?"

“Aye.” Olberic said, “I think we have tarried long enough in these woods. We should move now to take Zeph home so that we do not keep him from his sister any longer.” He gestured to the man in question.

Zeph nodded. “It would be good to see Nina again after so long. I’ve never been gone this long from her before.” He looked a little homesick, truth be told. As good as it had been to see his friend, the traveling life was more for Alfyn than for him. With Alfyn on his way to a full recovery he knew he could return home. 

“Shucks guys,” said Alfyn bashfully, “Thanks so much for what you did for me. I didn’t mean to cause you guys so much trouble so it means a lot that you’d still do all that.” He brightened and grinned at them. “Now that I’m feeling like myself again, I’ll do my best to make it up to you all!”

Tressa finished packing up her things, making sure that she'd left nothing cluttering the area. Ophilia was packing up as well, and Tressa made sure to go over and thank her for everything she'd done over the last few weeks. The cleric happily demurred her praise, saying she was simply thankful that Alfyn was well again. Professor Albright had been equally humble, saying that he'd done little except narrow the broad array of illnesses down to a chapter. 

Thanking Zeph took a bit longer. There was...a lot to be grateful for: that he'd come out, that he'd left Nina for so long, that he'd worked tirelessly and without rest…

He'd politely waved Tressa's thanks off, saying it was no trouble. He'd been just as worried as her to see how ill Alfyn was, after all; he actually thanked her for coming to get him. But then Zeph looked around to see if the others were listening before he leaned in and gave Tressa a little grin and a wink. 

“Just take care of him, you hear me? He's pretty smitten with you. Wouldn't stop talking about you the whole time you were gone.”

He chuckled at how it made her cheeks pink and returned to packing up his things as she stammered out promises to do just that before dashing off. 

That meant Tressa had thanked everyone over the past few days.

Except...

She hesitated but shyly made her way over to where Therion leaned against a tree, looking bored as he waited for them all. "Hey, Therion...?"

“Hm?” Therion was snapped out of his idle daydreaming by Tressa’s words. He’d have to put a pin in the thought of where he was going to rob first when he was free. “What’s up, kid?” he asked, giving her his full attention. Tressa was painfully transparent and he could tell she was feeling awkward about whatever she was going to say next. Probably for him to try to stop stealing stuff. Again.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the ground before looking up at him with big green eyes. Tressa inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"I never thanked you," she said quietly. "For what you did. Alfyn would have died if you hadn't stolen the lilies. I'm all about an honest deal...but that man didn't deserve it after what he did. So thank you."

Therion looked surprised. He wasn’t expecting a thank you, that happened only sarcastically in his line of work, and it was an odd feeling. These earnest, honest types always made him feel wrong footed. The images of Lady Ravus and Ophilia came to mind before he banished them.

“...don’t mention it,” he said finally, “just doing what needed to be done.” He moved to walk away but then paused. “...don’t be so honest next time when you’re bargaining kid. Makes it easy to take advantage of you and harder for your friends to look out for you.”

Therion took his leave then, hopefully leaving her with some wisdom.

Tressa absorbed his words and watched him go, but then her hands came up to hide her smile.

"...hehehe. He said we're friends."

With her thanks said, she moved to catch up with her friends. All seven of them.

As she passed them, her hand lightly brushed Alfyn's before she continued on to stand towards the front of the group. Part of her was tempted to stop and take his hand, but he was busy catching up with Zeph. That was fine - they had all the time in the world, now. When she passed, Alfyn smiled at her and linked their fingers for a brief second before letting her go once more. She smiled back, her heart lighter than it had been in weeks.

"To Clearbrook?" she said, ready and eager to lead the way. 

"To Clearbrook," Primrose confirmed, and she smiled as they all began to walk.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this the whole way through! I love this ship and I'm hoping to do more with them. Your kind comments have meant a lot along the way! :)


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